JONESBORO, Ark. (10/12/23) – One meet remains ahead of the Sun Belt Conference Championships, as the Arkansas State cross country teams are set to compete in the Arturo Barrios Invitational on Friday morning.

The meet, held at Texas A&M’s Dale Watts Cross Country Course in College Station, Texas, provides yet another strong test ahead of the conference meet. A-State will compete against over 20 of its regional opponents in both races, which feature 40-plus teams.

Starting gun for the men’s 8K is set for 8:30 a.m., with the women’s 6K set to follow at 9:15 a.m. Live results can be found here.

3 THINGS TO KNOW:

1.     (ANOTHER) REGIONAL PREVIEW: Friday’s meet serves as another preview for the NCAA South Central Regional Championships (Nov. 10). A-State’s squads boast top-10 regional rankings, and will compete against a majority of their regional opponents this weekend in College Station.

2.     RED HOT CHILE PEPPER: The Red Wolves put forth a strong performance the last time out, earning top-5 team finishes at the Chile Pepper Festival. A-State’s men placed fourth behind leader Rylan Brown’s 21^st-place finish, while Rahel Broemmel placed seventh to help the women to a fifth-place finish.

3.     BROEMMEL’S BREAKOUT: Rahel Broemmel wasted no time making her mark in her first cross country season. After joining the program in the spring – just in time for what was a stellar debut track and field season for the freshman – she placed seventh in the 5K at the Chile Pepper Festival. Her performance, which included a time of 17:04.0, earned her Sun Belt Conference Women’s Runner of the Week honors on Oct. 4.

NEXT UP

Arkansas State’s next test – the Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championships – is set for Saturday, Oct. 28, in Foley, Alabama. A-State’s men are looking to win their third consecutive team title, while the women are seeking their fourth in the last five years.

SOCIAL MEDIA

For the latest on the A-State track and field and cross country programs, follow @AStateTrack on Twitter and @Arkansas_State_Track on Instagram, while also liking the team’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/AStateTrackAndField.