Oct. 11, 2012

Friday’s Course Map | Saturday’s Course Map

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina cross country team has a busy weekend ahead with two meets on the schedule. The Gamecock `B’ team is set to race in the 5K Queens Royal Challenge on Friday, and the varsity squad will compete in the 6K NCAA Preview Meet on Saturday.

The meets will be South Carolina’s final preparation for the 2012 SEC Championship, which will be held on Oct. 26 in Nashville, Tenn.

“We have a very large team of over 30 women, so we are trying to provide as many racing opportunities as we can,” South Carolina head coach Stan Rosenthal said. “There are actually two women that are still fighting for spots to race at the SEC Championship. (The Queens Royal Challenge) will be a good opportunity for our women to get a chance to run on a really fast course and finish the season with some personal records and perhaps give them a chance to make the SEC competition squad.”

South Carolina is running at Charlotte for a second straight meet. The Gamecocks ran in the Charlotte Invitational at McAlpine Park two weeks ago and finished in 11th place.

The Gamecocks’ `B’ team lineup for Friday includes seniors Ellyn Quigg and Megan Rother, junior Kelly Newcomb, sophomore Kelsey Rudeck and freshmen Stephanie Berger, Shaina Manuel, Courtney Swink, Alexandra Whitley and Lisa Zimmer.

South Carolina will compete against a mix of 30 Division I and Division II programs at the Queens Royal Challenge, highlighted by regionally ranked Florida State, Duke, Elon and Liberty.

On Saturday the Gamecocks will face their toughest test of the season, as the NCAA Preview Meet will feature 15 nationally ranked teams at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park, which is the site of the 2012 NCAA Championship. South Carolina will race in the women’s black unseeded race against a field highlighted by regionally ranked Florida State, Florida, Georgetown and West Virginia.

“A lot of the teams that will compete there are nationally ranked. Most of them are regionally ranked,” Rosenthal said. “It will be good preparation for us. There will be over 300 runners at this race, and our goal is to put as many people as we can in the top 100.”

Freshman Kayla Lampe and senior Chelsea France are expected to lead the way for the Gamecocks on Saturday. Lampe enters the race with the fifth fastest 6K time (21:06.24) in the conference. France has consistently been South Carolina’s second fastest runner this season and is 18th in the SEC with a 6K mark of 21:47.03.

Joining Lampe and France will be junior Penny Boswell, sophomores Meredith Mill and Alex Mullin and freshmen Mary Fouse, Lauren Kahre, Christine Kent, Lannon McCoy and Anna Todd.

Friday’s Queens Royal Challenge is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. The Gamecocks will run in the unseeded race on Saturday at the NCAA Preview Meet at 11:30 a.m.

Queens Royal Challenge Field
Anderson
Bluefield
Brenau
Converse
Coker
Columbia International
Davidson
Duke
Elon
Emory & Henry
Fayetteville State
Florida State
Johnson C. Smith
Lee
Lenoir-Rhyne
Liberty
Mars Hill
Montreat
Morris
Mount Olive
Newberry
Savannah State
South Carolina
Spartanburg Methodist
Charlotte
UNC Pembroke
Queens
Voorhees
Western Carolina
Wofford

NCAA Preview Meet Black Unseeded Race Field
Kentucky
Georgetown
Elon
West Virginia
Tulsa
Ohio
Boise State
Miami (Ohio)
Lamar
Central Michigan
Utah State
Utah Valley
Cincinnati
Akron
Furman
Dayton
North Carolina Greensboro
Mercer
Youngstown State
Louisville
UNC Asheville
Albany
Toledo
Idaho
Murray State
Indiana State
Kent State
Missouri – Kansas City
Memphis
Southeast Missouri State
South Carolina
Indiana
Bucknell
Appalachian State
Xavier
Florida State
Illinois
Clemson
Loyola (Ill.)
Air Force
Michigan
Wichita State
Colorado
Montana State
Villanova
UC Davis
Bucknell
Oregon
Duquesne
Kansas State
Southern Utah
Utah
Virginia Tech
Baylor
William and Mary
Florida
Eastern Kentucky
Butler
Eastern Michigan
New Hampshire
Texas
UC Santa Barbara
Oregon State

Bolded teams will be scored in the unseeded race