After a season full of rebuilding meets and practices led by a new and determined coach, the time has come to see how far the LSU cross country team has come.
The Tigers and Lady Tigers will compete in the Southeastern Conference championships today at the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla., hoping to show improvement after last season’s disappointment. Last year, the Tigers finished in last as a team and only one runner, male or female, finished in the top 25.
New coach Khadevis Robinson preached all season of the importance of these meets toward the rebuilding process he attempts to make here. Robinson said the team will see benefits of this process if they have put in the proper work.
“We have been emphasizing that this is the meet you want to do well in,” Robinson said. “It is just going to be a matter of, ‘Do you want to compete?’If you want to compete, you will see some results.”
The Tigers displayed improvement throughout the season, with runners such as Bryan Mutell and Phillip Primeaux having far-improved times from last season. The team’s biggest accomplishment came on Sept. 28 when they finished 2nd at the McNeese Cowboy Stampede in Lake Charles.
The Lady Tigers have performed admirably as well, especially after losing nearly the entire varsity team from last season. Freshmen Jenna Walker and Chaiss Matthews have helped pick up where last season’s five seniors left off.
The teams will also have the benefit of having raced on the same course earlier in the season, competing in the Mountain Dew Invitational on Sept. 14. The Tigers finished 8th and the Lady Tigers finished 10th, and each team finished with a runner in the top 50.
“Being familiar with the race is always going to be a benefit in a race,” Robinson said. “It is not going to be a huge advantage … it isn’t like we are going to be in front. But if the runners are more comfortable when running, that helps.”
Robinson understands the teams’ chances to finish in the top half of the SEC are slim, and he indicated to his players that the goal of the meet is for runners to get their personal best. Self-improvement will go a long way to the team becoming competitive within the conference, Robinson said.
The Tigers start their race at 8 a.m., and the Lady Tigers begin at 9 a.m.