LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech head cross country coach Jon Murray announced the 2016 schedule on Friday, July 22, highlighted by two home meets at the Rawls Course.
Along with the Texas Tech Open on Sept. 8, the Red Raiders will host the 2016 Big 12 Cross Country Championship at the Rawls Course on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 10 a.m. It is the first time the meet will be held in Lubbock since 2007, when Red Raider great Sally Kipyego won the individual crown with a time of 19:22.50 in the women’s 6K.
“I am looking forward to a great year of cross country for Texas Tech,” Murray said. “It is an exciting year with us having two meets in Lubbock, with our Open meet in early September and the Big 12 meet in late October. The Rawls Course is a beautiful place to compete and I know all of our athletes will compete well.”
Before the Texas Tech Open, the Red Raiders will open the year in Ruidoso, New Mexico, for the second-straight season, squaring off with New Mexico State in a dual meet on Friday, Sept. 2.
Tech will also make return trips to Fayetteville for the Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 1, as well as the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational in Santa Clara, California, on Oct. 15. The Chile Pepper Festival is expected to include another strong field of competition, while the Bronco Invite will provide the final tune-up before the conference championships.
After the Big 12 Championships, the postseason will continue at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships in Logan, Utah, on Friday, Nov. 11. The NCAA Championship meet will take place in Terre Haute, Indiana, again this year, on Saturday, Nov. 19.
The women’s team will be led by senior Jocelyn Caro, who racked up All-Big 12 performer honors after finishing seventh at the conference meet in 2015, while also leading the team at the NCAA Mountain Regional. Junior Miguel Bautista looks to pace the men’s squad this season, who had the top time at the NCAA regional and was either the top or second-place finisher among the Red Raiders in every meet in 2015.
Courtesy: Texas Tech Sports Information Department
