NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – Experience will be the ultimate result from the 2016 cross country season for first-year head coach Chris Sauer, who saw his men's and women's teams finish 12^th and 11^th, respectively, out of the 13-team fields in the Southland Conference Championships held at Stephen F. Austin's Pecan Acres City Park on Friday.
 
"This is a hard working group that needs time to develop, and we wanted to walk away from this season knowing that we put in the work," Sauer said.
 
Sauer has also found out some things about himself in his first year as a head coach.

"I learned that coaching is what I really want to be doing for life," Sauer said. "I've had a great time working with this group, and to see them trusting me more and more as the year went on and responding to the training was the best thing I could have asked for."
 
Junior Josh Wilkins was the top-performer for the men. His time of 25:11.7 in the 8K event placed him 23^rd out of the 97-man field.

Others finishing for the Demons: Anson Ballow (87^th, 29:00.5, Dylan Dunford (88^th, 29:25.6) Jacob Dahlhoff (89^th, 29:40.7), Grant Butts (90^th, 29:42.0), Tyler Corwin (92^nd, 32:22.9), and Anthony Renteria (93^rd, 32:34.5).
 
The women were missing junior Jacqueline Rushford, who finished 54^th in last year's event, but the Lady Demons' posted solid times in her absence.

Junior Erin Wrozek's time of 24:14.0 in the 6K race was good for 50^th place out of the 89-woman field.
 
Others finishing for the Lady Demons: Emily Sitarz (69^th, 26:14.0), Erin Sitarz (71^st, 26:25.7), Emily Heard (73^rd, 26:43.8), Sydney Cowgill (76^th, 27:31.8), and Dominitra Charles (85^th, 32:34.9)
 
The Lamar men took home the top prize, their fourth straight Southland Championship, while the women of Stephen F. Austin claimed their eighth title in team history.
 
Senior Charles Mathenge from Stephen F. Austin was the men's individual winner, while Lamar's Evelyn Chavez won it on the women's side.