Hurricanes Set for NCAA Regionals

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami cross country team will compete in the NCAA South Regional Championships Saturday at Veteran’s Park in Hoover, Ala.

This season’s championship will be hosted by Samford University and features a 6K course for the women and 10K track for the men. The ladies will get underway at 9:45 a.m. with the men to follow at 10:45 a.m.

The first and second-place teams earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind. There are also 13 national at-large bids available based on teams’ performances throughout the 2010 season. The South Region is made up of teams from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Saturday will mark the second time in as many seasons that the Hurricanes will be competing in the regional championship. Prior to last season, Miami hadn’t competed in the event since 2006.

The Miami women will be led by freshman Brooke Dovell – who has won two individual titles this season. She will be joined by fellow fellow underclassmen Lindsi Arrington and Allison Ludwick. Seniors Katharine Woodard and Caitlin Knapp and junior Anna Bona will provide the veteran presence to the squad.

Unlike the women, the men’s team features only one upperclassman – senior Charles Michel. Greg Kaczka will assume the team lead as Connor Adams will not be able to compete due to a leg injury. Kaczka will be also be flanked by four freshmen, Michael Coogan, Luke Fontaine, Sean Pezzulo and Phil Wood.

Visit Hurricanesports.com Saturday afternoon for a race recap and final results.

You can follow all University of Miami teams on Twitter by visiting http://api.twitter.com/hurricanesports or follow just track and field and cross country at http://twitter.com/MiamiTrack.  Visit hurricanesport.com and University of Miami Track and Field/Cross Country on facebook to get all the up-to-date news and information on the track and field and cross country teams.