Steven Haynes -- Asst. SID
CHARLOTTE, NC – Queens University of Charlotte will host the upcoming Conference Carolinas Cross Country Championship at McAlpine Creek Park on Friday, October 23rd. The event starts with a community run, followed by the women’s championship race and capped off with the men’s championship event. (The 600-Meter Student Sprint Challenge is open to parents, students and community members of all ages and is a fun way to kick off the Conference Carolinas Championship.)
The collegiate races are distances of 5,000-meters for the women and 8,000-meters for the men and will start at 4pm and 5pm. Following the event is an awards presentation & athlete dinner at the Queens University Sports Complex at Marion Diehl Park starting at 6:30pm. Nonparticipants who wish to attend are welcome with a $10 advanced purchase from www.queensathletics.com
Hosting the event, Queens comes into the race full of momentum. The Royals men’s and women’s teams are ranked No. 1 in the Southeast Region and have both earned multiple Runner of the Week awards from Conference Carolinas.
The men’s team is led by
Michael Crouch (Yucca Valley, Calif., Yucca Valley), who has led Queens past several Division l institutions throughout the season. The women’s team has found success on the shoulders of
Jessica Neville (Cold Spring, N.Y., Haldane), who has paced the Royals to move into the No. 1 spot in the region.
McAlpine Creek Park has acquired a prominent place in the cross country community. The park has been home of the Footlocker High School Regional Championships since 1980, as well as home to the 1999 NCAA Division I Conference USA Championships and the 2000 Great American Cross Country Festival.
For more information about the race go to the men’s cross country page at www.queensathletics.com.