Men's Cross Country Team to Compete at NCAA Region
November 09, 2001 | Cross Country
Nov. 9, 2001
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For the first time in four years, the University of Louisville men's cross country team will field a full squad at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships.
The 10,000m race will be held Saturday at the Furman University Golf Course in Greenville, S.C. Thirty-six teams from the region will compete, with the top two teams and top four individuals advancing to the NCAA Championships.
"This is not the best team we've had in my four years here, but it is the most conscientious group and the team that has made the greatest progress as a collective group of individuals," said U of L head coach Gene Weis.
Seniors Justin Banks, Mike Horan and Tim Franxman, junior Chris Cox, sophomore Curtis Persinger and freshman Brian Hurst will represent the Cardinals in the event. All six have set career-bests at some point this season in the 8000m race.
"This team's effort (and result) at the Conference USA meet, all things considered, was extraordinary and a compliment to the kind of young people they are," said Weis of his team's seventh-place finish at the C-USA meet two weeks ago. "They deserve this opportunity and I am looking forward to sharing the experience with them."
Louisville last competed as a team in the regional in 1997, when the Cardinals placed 15th out of 31 teams.
The NCAA Southeast Regional is open to any and all NCAA Division I teams in the region, which is made up of schools in Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In addition to the top two teams, an additional 13 teams from the eight regions will earn at-large selections to the NCAA Championships.
