Oct. 26, 2012
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Big 12 Cross Country Championships
Jimmy Clay Golf Course | Austin, TexasSaturday, Oct. 27
Women's Race - 10 a.m. CT
Men's Race - 11 a.m. CT
Championships Central
Feature: UT hosts Big 12 Championships |
| Texas participants |
| Ryan Dohner, Jr. |
| Craig Lutz, So. |
| Patrick McGregor, Sr. |
| Kyle Merber, Sr. |
| Mark Pinales, So. |
| Rory Tunningley, Sr. |
| Trevor Van Ackeren, Sr. |
| Daniel Vertiz, Fr. |
| Blake Williams, So. |
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Season Results
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 7 Texas will be one of five nationally-ranked teams in the men's race of the 2012 Big 12 Cross Country Championships this Saturday morning at Jimmy Clay Golf Course in Austin. The women's 6,000-meter race begins at 10 a.m. Central and the men's 8,000-meter race begins at 11 a.m. Central.
The Longhorns will be seeking their first Big 12 title in program history after improving in the conference meet each year of coach John Hayes’ tenure, which began in 2009. Last season Texas finished third with two All-Big 12 finishers (top-15) – Craig Lutz (third) and Ryan Dohner (15th).
“A win on Saturday would be tremendous – we have gotten a little closer every year,” Hayes said. “The University of Texas has never won the Big 12 Championships. It has always been Colorado and Oklahoma State. I think this year is possible for an upset. Our guys are ready.”
The field includes No. 1 Oklahoma State – winners of the last four Big 12 meets, No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 7 Texas, No. 25 Iowa State, No. 30 Kansas, Baylor, K-State, TCU and Texas Tech. First-year Big 12 member West Virginia does not sponsor a men’s cross country team.
Texas hosted the Big 12 Championships in 2003, but it will be the first time the race has been held at Jimmy Clay Golf Course in Southeast Austin.
“I think the biggest advantage of hosting is having our support team out there – the whole track team, cross country team, friends, family of the guys, and the running community in Austin,” Hayes said. “When our guys line up on Saturday, and they know they have the University of Texas and Austin behind them, I think it will be a big advantage.”
The last time Texas hosted the Big 12 Cross Country Championships was in 2003. That year the Longhorns’ Paul Marrison finished second and the men’s team finished sixth in the meet held at Barton Creek Lakeside Golf Course. It was also the last time all five of the top-five finishers were separated by five seconds or more.
Last season sophomore Craig Lutz led the Longhorns with a third-place finish in the conference meet. He is coming off a 12th-place finish in the nationally-competitive Wisconsin adidas Invitational on Oct. 12.
“Up to this point of the season, this is our biggest meet, but it’s not our last,” Lutz said. “It’s our biggest test, but whatever happens on Saturday, we need to come back together afterwards and start getting ready for Nationals.”
NEXT MEET
NCAA South Central Regional Championships
Friday, Nov. 9 – 12:15 p.m. CT
Fayetteville, Ark. – Agri Park
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