Friday, October 28, 2011

MACON, Ga. - Kennesaw State will try for its third-straight Atlantic Sun Men's Cross Country Championship on Saturday, which would tie the Owls for the fifth-longest streak in A-Sun history. Belmont, six-time A-Sun Champions, hopes to break the Owls run as they host the championship meet at Percy Warner Park on the Vaughn's Gap Course.

Vaughn's Gap Course has hosted the A-Sun Cross Country Championship on two occasions prior to this year coming in 2004 and 2007. The men's race begins at 10 a.m. CT.

USC Upstate's Gilbert Kemboi enters the race as the defending champion, while Kennesaw State's Nabil Hamid claimed runner-up honors last season.

2011 Men's Cross Country Championship Notes:

• Four A-Sun teams enter this year's championship in the USTFCCCA South Region Rankings. Kennesaw State leads the way at No. 10 and is followed closely by North Florida in 11th. Belmont and ETSU are 13th and 14th, respectively, in the coaches poll.
• With a team victory on Saturday, Kennesaw State will tie Georgia State and Louisiana-Monroe with three A-Sun titles in a row, which would rank as the fifth-longest streak. The Owls can also move into a tie for sixth in A-Sun history for most team titles with three.
• North Florida enters the championship vying for its first men's team title in program history. Last season, the Ospreys finished in fourth place and have finished as high as tied for third (2009) at the conference meet.
• The hosting Belmont Bruins have been without an A-Sun title since 2007. From 2002-07, Belmont won six-straight team titles - the longest streak in conference history. The Bruins can also tie Georgia State for most individual titles at seven if a Belmont runner can finish first on Saturday.
• USC Upstate's Gilbert Kemboi enters this weekend looking to become the sixth A-Sun student-athlete to win back-to-back individual meet titles. The Eldoret, Kenya native has already won two meets this season coming at the Eye Opener Invitational and the USC Upstate Invitational. At the 2010 Championship, his time of 24:00 was the third-fastest in conference history and came on his home course in Spartanburg.
• Kennesaw State's Jaakko Nieminen enters the championship with the fastest 8,000-meter time this season at 23:32.96. Kemboi's time of 24:14.00 at the Charlotte Invitational and Hamid's 24:37.71 at the Greater Louisville Classic rank second and third, respectively. Belmont's Matt Miller posted the fourth-fastest 8K time this year at 24:54.31.

Full results, highlights and interviews will be posted on the Atlantic Sun Conference website following the conclusion of both the men's and women's race.

Follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an NCAA Division I league with 10 member institutions committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun meets the challenge of maintaining the highest standards in academic and athletic achievement with a true balance between student and athlete. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.