RUSTON, La. Western Athletic Conference officials were in Ruston on Wednesday and Thursday for meetings in preparation for the WAC Cross Country Championships that Louisiana Tech will host on October 30th.
Tech head coach Gary Stanley and his program will serve as hosts for the event that will take place at Lincoln Parish Park. San Jose State, SMU and Hawaii have hosted the event over the past three years.
Louisiana Tech is looking forward to hosting the WAC Cross Country Championships in October, said Tech Director of Athletics Jim Oakes. This is honor to host the other members of the WAC and we know Lincoln Parish Park will be an outstanding venue for this important event.
This will be the first WAC championship event the university has hosted since joining the WAC.
We are very excited to be hosting the first WAC championship event that Tech has been able to host since joining the league, said Stanley. It also comes a great time with football having an off week so hopefully the community will come out and support this event and see some of the top cross country runners in college athletics.
WAC assistant commissioner Lisa Vad Thorner along with assistant director of media relations and championship director Joe Menaugh met with Tech athletic department officials on Wednesday before touring the course on Thursday at Lincoln Parish Park.
It will be a great time and not just for our cross country and track and field programs, Stanley added. It is very difficult to be awarded a WAC Championship and we feel very fortunate that the WAC has chosen Lincoln Parish Park as the site of the 2004 WAC Cross Country Championships.
Ten womens teams and six mens team will compete at the event in Ruston as close to 200 athletes and coaches will traveling to Ruston for the event. Tech will also host the mens golf championships in April at Squire Creek.
WAC Cross Country Championships
Schedule of Events
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Lincoln Parish Park
Ruston, La.
9:15 a.m. Men report to starting line
9:30 a.m. Mens race (8,000 meters)
10:15 a.m. Women report to starting line
10:30 a.m. Womens race (5,000 meters)
11:15 a.m. Awards Ceremony following womens race