Manhattan, Kan.-After running in four races to train for the conference championships, the moment has finally arrived as the Kansas State cross country teams head to Austin, Texas, to run in the Big 12 Cross Country Championships on Friday, October 31. The men will run an 8,000-meter race at 9:00 a.m. with the women to run in a 6,000-meter race at 10:00 a.m.

K-State will be looking to improve on last season's seventh place finish by the women and tenth place finish by the men.

"We have been training the entire year for the possibility to have a good showing at the conference championships," head coach Randy Cole said.

On the men's side, the Wildcats will be led by junior Mathew Chesang, who finished seventh at the Big 12 championships last season. In addition, the Wildcats should be bolstered by the return of Rogers Kipchumba, who was unable to run at the championships last year.

For the Wildcat women, freshman Stephanie Murer will likely play a significant role in her first conference championship meet. Murer has led the Wildcats in two races this year, including the KSU Wildcat Invitational where she won the individual title.

In addition, junior Trisha Culbertson will be looking to improve on last season's strong showing at the championships. Culbertson, who has led the Wildcats on two occasions this season, finished 30th at the meet last year.

Following the Big 12 Conference meet, the Wildcats will head to the Midwest Region Championships on Saturday, November 15, in Stillwater, Okla.

Highlights from the 2003 Big 12 Cross Country Championships will be available on Oct. 31, from 3-3:15 p.m. (CST). Highlights will include the women’s and men’s race and interviews with winning coaches and student-athletes. The highlights can be found via satellite on Galaxy 3-C; Transponder 2; C-Band.

K-StateSports Cross Country

Printer-friendly format	Email this article