Sept. 3, 2009
WACO, Texas - The Baylor cross country team kicks off its season on Friday, Sept. 4, as the host team of the annual Bear Twilight Invitational held at the Baylor Intramural Fields.
The Baylor women will be contending for their seventh consecutive berth to the NCAA Championships, while the men will look to keep moving up the ladder in the Big 12, after finishing 10th at the conference championships in 2008.
Head coach Todd Harbour has three senior captains on the women's side, all of whom have earned All-America honors in either track and field or cross country. Erin Bedell comes into the season fresh off of All-America honors in both cross country and track field last season, placing 37th in cross country and 6th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Nichole Jones and Danielle Bradley have each earned All-America honors in track and field, as well as all-South Central region honors in cross country.
"These three outstanding young ladies have been leaders on the team since they have arrived on campus," Harbour said. "With all three of them being All-Americans, it's something that we have never had at Baylor before."
The Baylor men don't have the same accolades, but an improved finish at the Big 12 meet last season, and experienced junior captains Robbie Knorr and Jeff Sadler will help them move in the right direction. Knorr was the Bears' top finisher at the conference meet, while Sadler led the Bears to a 10th-place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional and was the Bears top runner in four of the five meets in 2008.
The 2009 season will get underway with the Bear Twilight Invitational, which features a four-kilometer women's race, and a six-kilometer men's race at the intramural fields on the east side of campus.
"It's a nice low-key opener for us," Harbour said. "It gives us a chance to get out there and compete, and see where our are at this point in the season."
The meet is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening with the women's race first, followed by the men. Teams competing with Baylor include Texas A&M, Dallas Baptist and Arkansas-Fort Smith. For more information and a campus map visit the cross country page at BaylorBears.com.
