Kansas Cross Country Announces 2006 Schedule
Aug. 7, 2006
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
The University of Kansas cross country teams have released their 2006 schedule. Highlighting the schedule is the 2006 Big 12 Cross Country Championships, as the event marks the first Big 12 Conference championship held in Lawrence.
On Oct. 27, Rim Rock Farm, the Jayhawks’ cross country home for the past 32 years, will host the 2006 Big 12 Cross Country Championships. The women’s competition, a 6k race, is scheduled to start at 10 a.m., while the men’s event, an 8k race, is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Kansas is home to the back-to-back defending men’s Big 12 champion, senior Benson Chesang.
In addition to the 2006 Big 12 Cross Country Championships, Rim Rock Farm will also serve as the location for KU’s first meet of the year, the Bob Timmons Invitational (Sept. 2). Named after the founder of Rim Rock Farm, the event brings together a collection of schools to compete on one of the most unique courses in the country.
From there, the Jayhawks will travel to square off against in-state rival Kansas State in the Kansas State Wildcat Invitational (Sept. 8). In last year’s event, the women’s squad defeated the Wildcats while the men’s team settled for a tie.
Next on the slate for the Jayhawks will be a trip to Minneapolis, Minn., where KU will compete in the Roy Griak Invitational (Sept. 3). Chesang was the top KU male finisher at the event last year, placing second, while junior Connie Abbott recorded the women’s best individual result for Kansas, placing 129th.
In October, the competition gears up as the Jayhawks make a trip to Terre Haute, Ind., to compete in the NCAA Pre National Invitational (Oct. 14). The men’s and women’s teams both recorded fourth-place finishes at the event last year.
The schedule for November has the Jayhawks competing in two events. On Nov. 11, the Jayhawks return to Minneapolis Minn., for the Midwest Regional Championships. At the event last year, the men’s squad placed five members on the all-region team: Chesang, senior Tyler Kelly, senior Erik Sloan, junior Paul Hefferon and junior Colby Wissel. The men’s team third-place finish was its best result at the event in over a decade.
The season wraps up with a return visit to Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA championships (Nov. 20). The men’s 12th- place finish last year was its best result at the event since 1994.
