The Tigers and Lady Tigers needed to finish in the top two teams overall this weekend to continue the cross country season — a feat they have not accomplished all year.The season ended for both teams Saturday at the NCAA South Central Region Championships in Waco, Texas, with the Tigers placing 18th and the Lady Tigers finishing 21st.The Waco regional, hosted by Baylor at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course, was one of nine regional meets during the weekend.No. 22 Arkansas won the men’s 10K race convincingly with 47 points as three of their runners finished in the top 10. Texas (74) and Lamar (83) rounded out the top three teams.Arkansas and Texas received an automatic bid to the men’s NCAA Championships on Nov. 23.No. 25 Southern Methodist captured the women’s 6K title with 43 points as four of their five recorded finishers placed in the top 10. Baylor came in second with 54 points, and Arkansas rounded out the top three with 66 points.SMU and Baylor also received automatic invitations to the women’s NCAA Championships.All runners from the top two teams on each side automatically advance to the NCAA Championships. The top eight remaining individual finishers from each region also receive an invitation to the national meet.None of the Tigers or Lady Tigers will advance. Sophomore Cullen Doody was the top LSU finisher on the men’s side in 80th place. Lady Tiger sophomore Laura Carleton finished 65th in the women’s race.Doody paced the Tigers in every meet this season. He finished the 10K meet Saturday in 34 minutes, 6.8 seconds.”After losing our top three male runners, Cullen really stepped up and ran well this season,” LSU cross country coach Mark Elliott said in a news release. “At the beginning of the season, I never thought he’d be the No. 1 guy, but I’m really proud of the way he finished the year.”Junior Ken Ehrhardt (93rd), sophomore Luke Dessauer (110th), sophomore Frank Bohn (115th) and junior Sean Swanner (117th) rounded out the Tigers’ top five.On the women’s side, Carleton led the Lady Tigers for the first time all season with a season-best 6K time of 23 minutes, 15.5 seconds.Junior Lauren Ybarzabal also clocked in a season-best 6K at 24 minutes, 45.6 seconds.Sophomore Jenna Henssler (83rd), Ybarzabal (113th), sophomore Amber Abbott (128th) and senior Amal Esmail (130th) rounded out the Lady Tigers’ top five.Freshman Charlene Lipsey, who paced the Lady Tigers twice this season, and senior Kayann Thompson did not compete because of their obligations to track and field, which began last week.——Contact Jonathan Schexnayder at [email protected]