Louisiana collegiate men's rankings
1. Mcneese State With an impressive 17 point showing at their home invitational led up front by junior Alex Kiptoo and senior Alex Bruce-Littlewood, the Cowboys come in this week at the top of our rankings. A combination of depth and experience will make Mcneese a serious threat in the South Central region come November.
2. University of Louisiana-Monroe One of the few in state teams not present for the Cowboy Stampede in Lake Charles, the Warhawks placed second at the UTA invitational in Arlington, TX on a 4.27 mile course. With their top 3 individuals breaking 20 minutes on a long course led by junior Hillary Kirwa, ULM has a strong front group. It should be noted that this is a very young team with 3 freshmen in their top 5.
3. LSU Led by an All SEC outdoor performer in junior Phillip Primeaux, LSU looks to rebuild under new head coach Khadevis Robinson. The Tigers improved from their showing at the Mountain Dew Invitational in Gainesville by displaying more of a pack running mentality, as their 2-5 men were separated by just 28 seconds. This young squad looks to take some momentum heading to Fayetteville, AR for Chili Pepper.
4. Louisiana Tech Paul Sakit, an All-WAC selection in both the 1500m and 5k, looks to build off of a strong outdoor campaign and lead Louisiana Tech this season. With their 2-4 men finishing within 2 seconds of one another at the Cowboy Stampede, the Bulldogs will need a 5th to step up and improve their team scoring.
5. University of Louisiana-Lafayette The only team in our top 7 led by a freshman, ULL finished a distant 43 points behind LSU, whom they defeated in last year's Cowboy Stampede. Logan Pierce, the aforementioned freshman, has been outstanding in his first cross country season for the Cajuns. Missing key contributors from last season such as Cole Stafford and Matt Rice, the Cajuns may have to rely on other young guys to step into their top 5.
6. Tulane A much improved squad from last season, Tulane is led by a pair of sophomores in Adam Yohanan and Jack White. Although missing All-Louisiana Selection and top performer at last years CUSA crosscountry championships in junior Mark Manion, the Green Wave will look to junior Geoff Zelek and a pair of freshmen in Jack Curtis and Kade Kistner to step up in the coming weeks before heading to the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa later in the month.
7. Southeastern Louisiana With a 1-2 punch of sophomore Harry Wiggins and senior Joseph LaGrange, the Lions turned in a 7th place showing at the Cowboy Stampede this past weekend. Depth is a concern for this squad, as the gap from their 2 to 3 was one minute while the gap from 4 to 5 was 56 seconds. They will have a chance to improve that spread later in the month at the Choctaw Open in Clinton, MS.
Louisiana Collegiate Women's Rankings
1. Tulane The Green Wave got a huge boost at the Cowboy Stampede with the return of junior Paige Callahan. Defeating in state rival LSU by 19 points, Tulane looks to have improved depth this season thanks to a pair of impressive freshmen Katharine Smiley and Sara Kebede. The Green Wave will have a few weeks off before heading to the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa on October 18th.
2. LSU Led up front by junior Andi Aguilar, the lady Tigers, like their men, improved significantly this past weekend from their showing at the Mountain Dew Invite. It is difficult to ignore the loss of perhaps the greatest female distance runner in LSU history in Laura Carleton, but Coach Robinson has to be pleased that his young team had only a 25 second spread from the 2-6 positions. They will look to take their momentum into Chili Pepper this weekend.
3. Mcneese State With a strong showing by senior Amy Talbot, the Cowgirls turned in a 3rd place showing, a mere 7 points behind 2nd place LSU. Having two girls in the top 10 finishers at the meet in Talbot and sophomore Laura Casey led to the solid outing. With their 3-5 separated by only 10 seconds, the Cowgirls look to build off their success at the Choctaw Open in Mississippi later this month.
4. University of Louisiana-Lafayette Sophomore Anna Devitt asserted herself as one of the top collegiate runners in Louisiana with a 3rd place showing at the Cowboy Stampede this past weekend. Freshman Claire Hodges also had a solid race, turning in a 9th place finish. The Lady Cajuns will need help from their 3-5 athletes when they head to Tallahassee, FL for the FSU Invite in two weeks.
5. Nicholls State Junior Tessni Carruthers posted a convincing 11 second victory at the Cowboy Stampede and as of right now, is the top female runner in this state. She was joined in the top 10 by fellow junior Sarah Pressley, who had a 7th place finish. Like number 4 ranked ULL, this Nicholls State squad lacks depth but will look to improve at Chili Pepper this upcoming weekend.
6. University of Louisiana-Monroe Led by sophomore Pauline Muiruri, the lady Warhawks turned in a 6th place finish in the UTA Invitational in Arlington. Missing out on the Cowboy Stampede this past weekend, ULM will get the opportunity to face some in state competition at Chili Pepper this upcoming weekend.
7. Southern-Baton Rouge The Jaguars, led up front by senior ShaNiece Pinkston, were 7th this past weekend at the Cowboy Stampede. Depth is a major concern for this squad, as their 4th and 5th runners were separated by over 6 minutes. They will be looking to close that gap in two weekends at the HBU Invitational in Houston, TX.