With only one meet left in the regular season, the LSU cross country teams can already see the postseason on the horizon.
 
Both teams have enjoyed some measures of success this season, collecting a combined five runner-up finishes in six chances, but they acknowledge that streak will be tough to continue.
 
Saturday marks the University of Arkansas’ annual Chile Pepper Festival, widely regarded as one of the toughest meets in the country. To steal a recent metaphor, it’s the cross country equivalent of trying to score on a defense with, say, 13 players.
 
While a typical meet contains somewhere around 10 teams, Chile Pepper usually attracts between 30 and 40 schools, many of whom are nationally ranked. Additionally, the men’s race will be the only time this season the Tigers don’t compete at the 8K distance; instead, races will be 10K.
“When we go up to Chile Pepper, we’ll be running against so-called ‘real’ cross country programs,” Elliott said. “While I don’t in fact think we’re going to go there and win, I want to see how we do against some true cross country competition at the highest level.”
 
The Tigers will be led by junior Richard Chautin, who has placed third or better in each meet this season. Chautin, who finished 54th in 2008, said the chance to face so much elite competition means the Tigers have nothing to lose. That go-for-broke mentality has paid dividends in the past.
The Tigers have finished in the top 10 in two of the past three seasons, including seventh in 2008.
 
“Chile Pepper is the race where a few of us have had some breakthrough races,” Chautin said. “We sort of prepare for that because we want to know what’s going to help us work everything out when it comes to conference and regionals.”
 
Sophomores Brea and Dakota Goodman will make their return for the Lady Tigers after sitting out a meet, giving the team some much-needed depth.
 
The women’s race distance has been reduced from 6K to 5K, but junior Laura Carleton said that the crowded field could lead to better performances for the Lady Tigers, who have gone more than decade without a top-10 finish at Chile Pepper.
 
“As far as the competition, I think that will help us run faster,” she said. “There’s going to be someone next to you pushing you no matter where you are on the course because there’s so many people in the race.”
 
 
 
—-
Contact Ryan Ginn at [email protected]