Category | Sports

Cross Country in NCAA South Regional

Published on November 10, 2009 by Justin Hobday

The cross country teams head to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to run in the NCAA Division I South Regional meet Nov. 14. This is the first division I post-season event for both the men and women’s programs.

Freshman Nabil Hamid came to KSU as one of the top runners in Georgia. Photo courtesy of KSU SID.

Both teams have spent the majority of the season in the top 15 of the regional rankings. The men have spent six consecutive weeks in the rankings, and the women cracked the top 10 in the latest rankings.

Senior Britany Reilly heads to the South Regional to represent the Owls along with junior Mackenzie Howe. Reilly posted a personal record time of 18:13 at the Atlantic Sun Conference meet, and she is looking forward to the level of competition she and Howe will be up against at the NCAA South Regional meet.

“Just knowing that there is going to be really good competition there and just having the opportunity to be able to go this year is exciting,” Reilly said. “We’re both really excited, and it’s what we have been working for. Now we can go to that extra level and be able to run with top teams and top girls, it’s definitely something that is a good opportunity for both of us.”

The regional meet is comprised of a 6K race for the women, and a 10K race for the men. The women ran 5K events for the majority of the season, and the men ran 8K races. However, Reilly is confident in her running of late and she is ready to do as well as possible.

“I’m planning on laying it all out on the course and just hoping for the best,” Reilly said. “I don’t think I’ll be too disappointed because I’ve been running well. It’s really going to come down to getting that mentality right.”

Freshman Nabil Hamid has been one of the leading runners for the men all season long, and he is also confident and ready to run as well as possible at the meet in Tuscaloosa.

“I’m so prepared right now,” Hamid said. “I push hard, and I give 120 percent at practice every day.”

The native of Ethiopia has his sights set beyond the regional meet as well.

“[At the regional meet] I want to finish in the top 15 and qualify for the [national meet],” Hamid said.

The Druid Hills High School graduate made the predictable impact to the team after a successful high school career.

“I wasn’t expecting this to happen, but I guess my hard work is showing,” Hamid said. “I’m so happy to be here and to continue what I’m doing right now.”

He won the state championship as a senior, and, according to his bio on ksuowls.com, chose to run at KSU because of the education and the opportunity to run for head coach Stan Sims.

“Nabil was arguably the best high school distance runner in Georgia last year. We’re really glad to have him, and we feel he can make an immediate impact on our program,” Sims said according to ksuowls.com.

Nabil will be joined at the regional meet by senior Scott Burley and junior Nathan Haskins along with other members of the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship team.