Junior cross country runner Joseph Simuchimba became the fifth LSU athlete in school history to compete in the NCAA Championships on Monday after he finished 68th at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Ind. “[Simuchimba] wasn’t pleased with how he did, but I wouldn’t say it was disaster,” said LSU coach Mark Elliott. “He ran a pretty good time for it being his first time on the course. It was good experience and will be something to build on for next season.” Simuchimba finished the 10-kilometer course in 30:54.2 – a little more than 90 seconds slower than race’s winner, Liberty University junior Josh McDougal. “Running by himself for the first time this season, he hung with the teams at the beginning, but then I think he was hurting a bit at the end,” Elliott said. After sticking with the lead pack early on, Simuchimba began to fade to No. 24 at the 3 kilometer mark. He then dropped to No. 41 at the 5 kilometer mark and fell to No. 62 at the 8 kilometer mark. The championships marked the end to a strong first season of LSU cross country for Simuchimba. The Zambia native earned All-Southeastern Conference and all-region honors this year after leading LSU in its four regular season and two postseason meets. Simuchimba finished in the top 10 five of his six races this season, including a first-place overall finish at the LSU Tiger Cross Country Festival in the midst of three consecutive top-three finishes. “[Simuchimba] gives the rest of us somebody to look up to,” said senior runner Michael Hendry. “We could get advice from him, and he helped us out a lot. It’s always good to have a guy like that around.” Simuchimba will now prepare for track in the spring and his senior season of cross country next fall. “Overall, Joseph [Sumuchimba] had a pretty good first cross country season,” Elliot said. “He has set himself up well heading into the track season and expectations will just get higher from here.” Simuchimba competed in the the 3,000 meter event, 5,000 meter event and 10,000 meter event for the track team in spring 2007. The Tigers’ next track meet will take place Jan. 19 at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse.
—Contact Jerit Roser at [email protected]