COLLEGE STATION - McNeese's men's and women's cross country teams will compete in their final meet of the regular season on Friday when they take part in the Texas A&M Arturo Barrios Invitational at the Watts Cross Country Course.
 
The men will run an 8k race beginning at 8:15 a.m. followed by a women's 6k at 8:50. The field features 14 women's and 11 men's teams ranked in the USTFCCCA South Central Region.
 
Following Friday's meet, McNeese will compete for the league title when it hosts the 2026 Southland Conference Cross Country Championships on October 30 at the Enos Derbonne Sports Complex.
 
The Cowboys will enter Friday's meet ranked No. 8 in the latest USTFCCCA South Central Top 15 regional rankings. The Cowboys are the second-highest ranked team in the poll from the Southland Conference, trailing SFA who is ranked at No. 2. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is behind the Cowboys at No. 9 then UIW at 10 and Lamar at No. 13.
 
The men's field features 11 of the South Central Region's top 15 teams, including eight of the top 10. The top-ranked programs include No. 2 Stephen F. Austin, No. 4 TCU, No. 5 Texas and No. 6 Houston, with Texas A&M ranked No. 7. Other regionally ranked programs in the field include McNeese, California Baptist, Tulsa, Ohio State, App State, Arizona State and Cal Poly.
 
The women's field features a nationally ranked Arkansas squad at No. 27. Fourteen of the South Central Region's top 15 teams are represented, including No. 1 Arkansas, No. 3 Tulane, No. 5 LSU and No. 6 Stephen F. Austin. The Aggies are ranked No. 4 in the region. The meet also serves as a preview of the NCAA South Central Regional Championships, which Texas A&M will host Friday, Nov. 13. Additional regionally ranked programs from across the country include Eastern Kentucky, Tulsa, San Francisco, Cal Poly and UCF.
 
Friday's meet will mark the first time this season for the Cowgirls to run a 6k and men an 8k, which will be run at the SLC Championships.