HAMMOND – The McNeese Cowboy and Cowgirl cross country teams will run in its only meet of the season on Sunday when they take part in the Southland Conference Cross Country Championships.
 
The meet will run on the Southeastern Louisiana campus and will begin at 10 a.m. with the women's 6k race followed by the men's 8k event at 11. Both races will be a road course throughout the SLU campus.
 
"We're looking forward to getting to compete," said head coach Brendon Gilroy. "Both teams have been back for several weeks working hard and getting ready for this race."
 
The Cowgirls' team will be comprised of a combination of experience with returnees Bonnie Andreas, Alissa Lander and Ciara Gilroy. They'll be joined by junior transfer Pamela Kosgei and sophomore transfer Aurelia Jepkorir. Rounding out the top seven will be freshmen Nele Seibert and Danna Diaz.
 
The men will enter the meet ranked 12^th in the latest NCAA South Central Region poll and the third highest ranked team from the Southland Conference.
 
Making up the Cowboys' squad will be SLC indoor 5000-meter champion Gideon Cheplak along with several returners in senior Henry Kiplagat, juniors Joey Croft, Aaron Gilliam and Marcus Kopp. Junior transfer and NJCAA All-American Elias Loriposia (El Paso CC) and transfer Fred Chepyegon, last year's SWAC runner-up, will round out the men's team.
 
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no NCAA Regional Championship races. Competitors at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be selected by the Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country Committee. The national meet will take place on March 15 at the OSU Cross Country course in Stillwater, Okla.