NATCHITOCHES – Freshmen Josh Wilkins, Jacqueline Rushford and Erin Wrozek are expected to set the pace for their young Northwestern State teams Monday morning as NSU hosts the 2014 Southland Conference Cross Country Championships at the Walter P. Ledet Track Complex.
 
The 8,000-meter men's race begins at 8:30. The 6,000-meter women's competition starts an hour later. The course winds around the west side of the NSU campus and finishes on the oval at the Ledet Complex where grandstand seating provides spectators a perfect view of the final 300 meters. The course is the same one used for more than 20 years during the annual, upcoming Louisiana High School Athletic Association all-classifications championships Nov. 17-19.
 
Lamar's men and women are defending 2013 conference titles. Lamar's men are ranked third in the region, with Stephen F. Austin (8), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (9) and McNeese State (10) joined by league members Central Arkansas (14) and Sam Houston (15). The women's south central regional rankings also have Lamar third with SFA (12) and UCA (13) in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association polls.
 
The Lady Demons, with an all-freshman lineup, won at the Louisiana Tech Mook5 Invitational and at NSU's Pre-Conference Meet this year under new coach Nathanial McReynolds, a former Demons distance runner.  Wilkins was the top men's finisher at the Mook5 while Rushford won Tech's meet and NSU's home meet.
 
Wilkins has been the Demons' first across the line in all five competitions. Rushford has topped the Lady Demon scorecard three times and Wrozek has come in first in the other two meets.
 
McReynolds has geared his teams' training all fall toward the conference meet and is confident the NSU runners are ready for their best performances.
 
"We've tapered correctly so we'll have fresh legs. We will know the course better than the other teams and that helps. You know where every hole is, where every turn is, where on the course you can take advantage, so it does give us a leg up on the competition," he said.
 
"Everything we've worked on has brought us to this stage. We've focused on racing as a pack, which we've done very well," he said. "Times do not matter Monday, it's who you beat. It sounds simple, but it's hard."
 
While contending for top finishes in the team standings is not reasonable at this stage, McReynolds believes the progress his runners have made this fall should be borne out Monday morning and will be in seasons to come.
 
"We're taking a step forward in building a strong cross country tradition here. These are young teams," he said.  "It's going to be a wonderful journey with these young men and women throughout their careers here and tomorrow is a landmark day when we can evaluate what we've done this fall."
 
Rushford and Wrozek are joined on the Lady Demon entry card by twins Emily and Erin Sitarz, Annie Fillers and Ashley Adams, who "looks in phenomenal shape coming off an injury," said McReynolds.
 
 "I expect the women to surprise. I would not be surprised if we are in the top half of the standings. I believe we have that capability and running at home will help.
 
Along with Wilkins, the Demons will send out sophomores Lucas Moncla, Skylor Reese and Miles Brown,  and freshmen Tyler Corwin, Grant Butts and Hunter Warmack.
 
Live results of the meet will be available online at http://flashresultstexas.com/2014/slcxc14/
 
The Natchitoches Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission and the City of Natchitoches are presenting sponsors of the 2015 Southland Conference Cross Country Championships. Visit Natchitoches.com for lodging and tourism information on historic Natchitoches.