The 2009 Sooner Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships will be held on Friday morning at Chaparral Ridge Golf Course on the campus of Lubbock Christian University. The men's race is scheduled to begin at 9:30 with the women following at 10:15.

In the men's division, it looks like a three-team race between Wayland Baptist, Oklahoma Baptist and Oklahoma Christian.  WBU is currently the highest ranked team, #15, of the three in the NAIA polls and won the last head-to-head match up with #20 OBU and #23 OC, but the margin of victory between the Pioneers and the other two schools was just three points.

"I'm assuming it will be very close," said Brian Whitlock, who is in his sixth season as head of the Wayland cross country program.  "Because of the rankings and the fact that we beat the other two teams two weeks ago in Kansas, we would probably be considered the favorite, but I honestly think that on any given day, any of the three teams could win."

Whitlock believes that individually, Oklahoma Christian's Silas Kisorio is the odds-on favorite to cross the finish line first, but he hopes that his own Kenyan, freshman Hildon Boen, can come in right behind Kisorio.

"Hildon twisted his ankle over the weekend and hasn't been able to run yet this week, but I'm hopeful that he will be ready on Friday."

The winning team at the conference meet gets an automatic bid to the NAIA Championships later this month in Vancouver, Wash., and Whitlock strongly believes the second place team will receive an at-large bid.

"It's that third place team that will probably get left behind.  In order for us to avoid that, we need to have Hildon get that second spot and our other guys to run strong races."

Sophomore Lucius Lopez has been running great in recent practices, and senior Timmy McCune has also been looking good, according to Whitlock, but another senior, Kirby Dunn, is not fully back from a breathing problem he suffered last month in Oklahoma.

"Kirby is looking better, but isn't completely back yet.  If Michael (Sandoval) will run the way he is capable of running, then our chances of getting that trip to nationals are real good."

Other male athletes competing for Wayland at the SAC Championships include sophomore Victor LeMay, junior John Keith and freshman Jarrod Morris.

Although the Pioneer women have won the last two conference championships, this year injuries have pretty much put Wayland out of the running to make it three straight.  Whitlock has been able to find three more women to join senior Diana Gutierrez and freshmen Catherine Luebner and Milca Villegas so that the Pioneers have enough to compete as a team.

"You never know what might happen, but Oklahoma Christian and Oklahoma Baptist both have really good teams this year and it is a toss up on who will come out on top.  I'm hoping that we finish in the top three."
 
As with the men, the winning team will receive an automatic bid to the national championships.  The top five individuals not on the winning team will also receive bids.

"We have three girls who have been in the fold all year.  My hope is that they finish high enough to get three of those individual bids."

Rounding out the WBU women's team on Friday will be Devon Allen, Trishawn Battiste and Mary Beth Arnold.