Cross Country

XC: 2022 Championship Preview

DALLAS – Conference USA’s 11 men’s and 10 women’s cross country teams are set to take the course on Saturday, October 29, for the 2022 C-USA Cross Country Championship. The event, hosted by North Texas, will take place at TWU'S Pioneer Soccer Park in Denton, Texas. The women’s 6k is set to begin at 9 a.m. CT followed by the men’s 8k at 10 a.m. CT. The awards ceremony will follow the conclusion of both races.

C-USA Cross Country Championships Central
Live Results Link
 
2022 C-USA Cross Country Championships
Hosted by North Texas | Denton, Texas
Pioneer Soccer Park
 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29
Women’s 6k Race | 9 a.m. CT
Men’s 8k Race | 10 a.m. CT
Awards Ceremony | Conclusion of Races
 
The preseason favorite, Charlotte reached as high as No. 27 in the U.S Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national rankings this season. They were led by junior Nick Scudder, who took home three C-USA Athlete of the Week honors for the second year in a row and recently broke his own school record in the 8k. Redshirt junior, Finn McBride also received recognition by the league on Oct. 11 as athlete of the week.

UTEP, who was picked to finish third in the league and was ranked 14th in the preseason USTFCCA Mountain Region poll, is currently 15th in the region. The Miners had three top-five team finishes, earning second in their first meet of the season. Victor Kibiego earned weekly recognition when he helped UTEP take third place at the Dave Murray Invitational, hosted by Arizona on Sept. 29.

Middle Tennessee, the defending C-USA conference champion was picked to finish second in the league. The Blue Raiders were ranked seventh in the preseason USTFCCA South Region poll and are currently sixth in the region. Additionally, the season saw Rice’s Travis Dowd and Elliot Metcalf get recognized by the league.
On the women’s side, preseason favorite and three-time defending C-USA Champion Middle Tennessee is currently ranked No. 11 in the USTFCCA South Region poll after a regular season highlighted by two to- 3 team finishes. Two Blue Raiders runners earned weekly recognition from the league this season in junior Naomy Limatukei and graduate Joice Jebor.

Rice, picked third by the league’s coaches, landed at No. 7 in the South Region’s rankings and is led by junior All-American Grace Forbes. Forbes won two individual tournament titles and two C-USA Athlete of the Week honors.
Preseason runner up, Charlotte landed at No. 11 in the Southeast Region after having three top-five team finishes and freshman Austin Heft taking home an Athlete of the Week honor on Oct. 11. Additionally, the season saw Louisiana Tech’s Rebecca Quebedeaux, Florida Atlantic’s Casey O’Connor and FIU’s Andrea Louzidou get recognized by the league.

2022 C-USA Male Athletes of the Week
S6           Nick Scudder, Charlotte  
S13         Travis Dowd, Rice
S20         Victor Kibiego, UTEP
S27         Elliot Metcalf, Rice
O4          Nick Scudder, Charlotte
O11        Finn McBride, Charlotte
O18        Nick Scudder, Charlotte
 
2022 C-USA Female Athletes of the Week
S6           Naomi Limatukei, Middle Tennessee
S13         Grace Forbes, Rice  
S20         Grace Forbes, Rice
S27         Rebecca Quebedeaux, Louisiana Tech
O4          Casey O’Connor, Florida Atlantic
O11        Austin Heft, Charlotte
O18        Andrea Louzidou, FIU and Joice Jebor, Middle Tennessee