KENNESAW,Ga.- Continuing her success from the 2009 season with her first place finish last Friday, Mackenzie Howe leads the women’s cross country team to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for the University of Alabama Crimson Classic 5k race. A week removed from their fifth place finish at the UTC PowerAde Invitational, the squad looks to a key regional matchup against some of the elite teams of the South.

Featuring three teams from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association South region rankings, the Owls will have their hands full competing with Alabama (5), Auburn (7) and Samford (15). The Crimson Classic has its largest participating field ever with 357 total entries, 174 being for the women’s race.

Knowing that the competition level will be high, head coach Stan Sims looks forward to the challenge it will place upon his runners.

“As far as the season goes, this meet will definitely be our first big assessment of how we are doing,” Sims said. “Some of the top teams in the region are going to be there for this will be a good test for Howe and also I think a good initiation of Heather Morris."

Returning to the course where she won last season’s Crimson Classic and placed 18th in the NCAA South Regional Championship, Howe looks to repeat her accomplishments from last year. She finished three seconds ahead of the second place runner from Auburn at 17:13. The team finished in seventh place with 164 points in the 2009 contest.  Brittany Robinson, the only other returnee on the Owls roster, finished 109th with a time of 25:01.

The younger portion of the roster, freshmen Haley Carson, Stephanie Sawyer, Heather Morris and Alison Wald, saw their first taste of competition last week at the PowerAde Invitational. Out of the four, Morris finished the highest at 12th with a time of 12:02. Eagerly anticipating a return to the grass, Morris is ready for Saturday’s event to arrive.

“I am really excited to finally race a 5k,” Morris said. “I am pumped to get back out there. Having a week between races isn’t great because all I want to do is compete.”



Meet Quick Facts


Event Name: Crimson Classic        

Host: University of Alabama

Location: Harry Pritchett running park

Start Time: 9:15 A.M.

Distance: 5k

2009 Owl Finish, Score: 7th, 164 points

2009 Owl Top Finishers:  Mackenzie Howe, 1st (17:13); Britany Reilly, 26th (18:58); Kristen Gibson, 44th (19:40)

Schools Participating (20): Alabama (D-I, SEC), Alabama State (D-I,SWAC), Alcorn State (D-I,SWAC), Arkansas-P.B. (D-I,SWAC), Auburn (D-I, SEC), Chattahoochee Tech, Columbus State(     ), Huntingdon (), Kennesaw State (D-I, A-Sun), MS. Valley State (D-I,SWAC), Nicholls State (D-I, Southland), Ole Miss (D-I,SEC), Samford (D-I, Southern), Southern Miss. (D-I, Conference USA),  Stillman(D-II, SIAC), Texas A&M(D-I, Big 12), Troy (D-I,Sunbelt), Tulane (D-I, Conference USA), W. Alabama (D-II, GSC), William Carey( NAIA,SSAC)