Oct. 24, 2009

BIRMINGHAM - The first of 18 conference champions will be crowned Monday, October 26 as the 2009 SWAC Cross Country Championships will be held at Highland Park in Baton Rouge, LA.

The women's race begins at 9 a.m. with the men to follow at 10:15 a.m. All ten SWAC member schools will be competing in the race. The women will run a 5K course while the men will run an 8K course. The men's and women's teams of Alabama State are the defending champions.

The Lady Hornets' Kesia Derilus has registered the fastest times of the season on the 3200 meter course (11:21.91) and the 5,000 meter course (18:30.00), while Grambling State's Grace Koir recorded the best 6,000 meter time (23:46.78) and Southern's Mary Newton bested the 3-mile run field (19:53.80).

On the men's side, the Hornets' Jephtah Kenei has logged the best 4-mile run time of the season at 15:40.45. Grambling State's Darwin Price etched the best 8,000 meter-run time of the season at 25:24.53