By: Jill Wunrow (@JillWunrow)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - The Green Bay men's and women's cross
country teams will be competing in the 33rd Horizon League Cross Country Championship
being held Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Dannehl National Cross Country Course on
the UW-Parkside campus in Kenosha, Wis., hosted by UW-Milwaukee.
The meet kicks off with the women's
race beginning at 11 a.m. followed by the men's race at 12 p.m. with results
and awards to follow.
With Butler being the 14-time
defending champion on the men's side and three-time defending champion on the
women's side, a new champion will be crowned with the Bulldogs no longer being a
member of the Horizon League. Loyola appears to be the favorite on the men's and
women's side but the field is wide open with the Phoenix also looking to make
some noise in the standings. Loyola finished as the runner-up in the men's race
the past five years while the Loyola women were third in 2011 behind Youngstown
State after finishing in second in 2009 and 2010.
This season the Phoenix women are
having its best season in program history, winning the Falcon Invite Sept. 15 before
running to a third-place team finish at the Midwest Open Sept. 8, finishing ahead
of in-state and Horizon League rival Milwaukee on the same course the Horizon
League Championship will be held.
Green Bay is being led by freshman
Sarah Mauel (Green Bay, Wis.) who won the Falcon Invite, finished third at the
Midwest Open and ran to a fifth place finish at the UIC opener to kick start
her collegiate career. Senior Areanna Lakowske (Sparta, Wis.) has been solid
for the Phoenix this year placing second in the Falcon Invite and finishing in
the top 10 in both the Midwest Open (8th) and UIC Opener (10th).
"Areanna is very unselfish and
humble," said head coach Mike Kline. "It doesn't matter what grade anyone is
in, everyone wants everyone else to do their best."
On the men's side, junior Alexander
Kimble (Green Bay, Wis.) and sophomore Andrew Sorenson (Onalaska, Wis.) have
paced the Phoenix all season with their performances and hope to lead Green Bay
to improve on its ninth place finish in 2011.
Kimble finished in 17th place in the
UIC Opener while Sorenson was 27th. Kimble and Sorenson finished fifth and
sixth respectively in the Falcon Invite while the tandem placed in the top 60
in the field of 122 runners at the Midwest Open.
Saturday's meet will be the third of
four held in the state of Wisconsin this season so the Phoenix teams are hoping
for a big fan base to cheer them on during the hilly course. Including Green
Bay, eight teams will be competing in the men's 8K race while nine teams will
be competing in the women's 5K competition.
AWARDS: Awards
for both the men's and women's championships will be presented to the first and
second place team. Awards for the Horizon All-League Teams will be presented to
the top 14 finishers at the championship. The Horizon League Newcomer of the
Year Award winners and the Outstanding Performers will be selected based upon
performance at each championship.
PARKING: For
those planning on traveling to Kenosha to cheer on the Phoenix, parking is
available in designated lots (D & E) adjacent to UW-Parkside Sports and
Activities Building. Fans are asked to please not use the parking lots on the
ground of Petrifying Creek Park.
More information on the Horizon League Championship can be found here.
###
For
the latest and most up-to-date information on Green Bay Athletics, please visit
GreenBayPhoenix.com.
Follow
us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix, and @JillWunrow.
Like
Green Bay Phoenix Athletics
on Facebook.
---www.GreenBayPhoenix.com---
