The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Set To Defend Their Conference USA Championship
10/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 26, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB cross country team is prepared to defend its conference title, as three of the Blazers' top finishers from last year's race and the 2005 individual champion are set to compete at the Conference USA Championship on Saturday in Santa Teresa, N.M.
Head coach Ray Stanfield believes the 5K meet, hosted by UTEP, will present a tough challenge for the Blazers due to strength of the conference and the location of the meet.
"This race is really going to test our team since we aren't 100 percent healthy," Stanfield said. "Having to run at a higher elevation, along with team and individual talent in this conference, is going to make defending our title a tough challenge."
The meet will begin at 10:30 a.m. CT on the Spanish Dagger course at the Santa Teresa Country Club.
Earlier this week Stanfield announced that Ambrus would be able to race at the meet, after missing two meets due to an illness. Ambrus, the 2005 C-USA individual champion, missed last year's race due to an ankle injury sustained earlier in the year.
"She's going to run even though she was cleared to race on Tuesday," Stanfield said. "It will be interesting to see how she competes after missing practice the last few weeks."
UAB seniors Whitney Mays and Elizabeth Hilligoss are two runners which Stanfield believes will be among the top runners Saturday. Last year, Mays, a two-time all-conference recipient, led the Blazers with a seventh place finish. Hilligoss will be racing this weekend to become the second C-USA women's runner to earn all-conference honors in four consecutive years. She placed eighth at the conference meet last season.
The third returning runner from last season's team is sophomore Kristina Olsen, who placed 14th. Stanfield also believes freshman Stephanie Gammon and Lacey Wright will have a strong showing at their first conference meet.
Teams expected to be frontrunners for the team title include No. 17 Rice, Tulsa, SMU as well as UAB.
The Blazers were picked to repeat as C-USA champions in the preseason poll, after capturing last year's team title, with a one-point victory over 2005 champion, Rice.
Saturday's race will be the sixth meet for the Blazers this fall. UAB has won two of those meets, which include the Crimson Classic and a sweep of the Tiger Twilight Invitational.
