MEN'S SPORTS

WOMEN'S SPORTS

ATHLETICS DEPT

Nov. 8, 2007

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For the second straight year, the University of Louisville will host the NCAA Southeast Regional at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky., this Saturday. U of L will team with the Greater Louisville Sports Commission co-host the event.

The meet, which will feature four nationally ranked men's teams and two top 30 women's teams, is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET with the men's 10-kilometer race followed by the women's 6-kilometer race at 12:15 p.m. The top two teams in each race will earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, set for Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Ind. More info on the event is available by clicking here.

"It's exciting to host this regional event at our home course for a second straight year and we hope to make the very best of the opportunity," said Cards' head coach Ron Mann. "It should be a great competition and with the weather forecast for Saturday looking great, we urge fans to come out and support our teams and enjoy a terrific regional championship event."

The Cardinal men, ranked 13th in this week's USTFCCCA Top 30 Poll, will face off against some of the nation's best teams, including No. 9 Virginia, No. 11 and defending champion North Carolina State and No. 25 William & Mary, last year's runner-up.

"I think NC State and Virginia are the favorites in Saturday's men's race, but it'll be interesting because William & Mary is in a similar position to last year when they needed a strong finish for an NCAA Championships bid," Mann said. "I feel confident that with our finishes at the Pre-Nationals and the BIG EAST Championships that we've earned enough quality points that a third or fourth-place finish will earn us a bid to the national championships. I'm confident in our team and with how we're running right now, so hopefully, we can continue to perform the way we have throughout the season."

The Cards, who finished third at last year's regional and 15th in the nation after earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships, enter Saturday's event on a roll after winning the program's first ever conference title at the BIG EAST Championships on Oct. 27. Led by four All-BIG EAST performers, including runner-up Wesley Korir, the Cards knocked off then-No. 11 ranked Georgetown and two other nationally ranked teams to win the BIG EAST title at their home course at "Tom" Sawyer Park. Joining Korir with All-BIG EAST finishes were senior Soimo Kiplagat (sixth), junior Cory Thorne (eighth) and sophomore Michael Eaton (10th).

The Louisville women will also face a talented field of teams on Saturday led by No. 21 ranked NC State and No. 26 North Carolina. Joining those two at the top of the regional rankings are No. 3 Virginia Tech, No. 4 Kentucky and No. 5 Duke, while the Cards enter the event ranked 12th in the region.

"I know our women's team is better than we've performed lately and our first goal is to improve on last year's 14th-place finish," Mann said. "We've shown a lot of signs that we're ready to put it all together for a big race and we're very capable of doing that on Saturday. Our ladies know we need a strong finish to have a chance at an at-large bid for the NCAA Championships and that finish could hinge on beating Kentucky. If we can get into the top four and finish in front of UK and Duke, we would really help our chances at a bid."

Led by a pair of All-BIG EAST performances, the Cardinal women enter the weekend following an eighth-place team finish at the BIG EAST Championships. Sophomore Tarah McKay led the Cards with a ninth-place finish, while freshman Emily Borsare was 15th in her first ever BIG EAST race.

Following this weekend's NCAA Southeast Regional, the Cards will turn their focus to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 19 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind.