Samford Cross Country Looks To Defend OVC Crown Again

--- Bulldogs ready to capture third consecutive conference championship Saturday ---

Oct. 27, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University men’s and women’s cross country teams head to Clarksville, Tenn., to compete in the Ohio Valley Conference Championship, hosted by Austin Peay on Saturday morning. The women look to defend their 2005 title, while the men look to improve upon their fifth-place finish in 2005.

The 2005 women’s team set a high standard, defending their title with a repeat championship. The 2005 squad has put together an impressive season so far, as they look to make it three in a row. Samford has been led by three-time OVC Women’s Athlete of the Week Katherine Herring. Herring transferred to Samford in 2005 and made an immediate impact on the team. She has consistently been one of the top three runners during her two years at Samford. She looks for her first individual conference championship as she took second place last year.

In addition to Blankenship, junior Robyn DeBenedet looks to better her third place performance from last year’s meet. She also has been one of Samford’s top three runners on the women’s side this season, and received her second straight All-OVC honor after the season last year.

The men’s team looks to improve on their fifth-place finish in 2005. Like last year, the men field a somewhat young, but talented team. The top five performers on the men’s side consist of two juniors, two sophomores, and a freshman.

Both men’s and women’s squads expect tough competition, including three-time OVC Men’s Athlete of the Week, Jacksonville State’s Ryan McKay and two-time OVC Champion Jacob Korir of Eastern Kentucky. Eastern Illinois’s Dave Carlson, a three-time All-OVC performer also returns. EKU and EIU have captured the top-two spots for the past eight years.

The 2006 O’Reilly Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships kicks of at 10 a.m., with the women’s 5,000-meter race. The men will follow at 11 a.m., when they compete in the 8,000-meter race. The races will be held at the Southern Industry Redevelopment Company Course.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***