WINGATE, N.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne men's and women's cross country teams are set to compete in the conference championships tomorrow at the Wingate XC Course in Wingate, N.C.

The women's 6k race will take off at 9:00 a.m. with the men's 8k race following at 10:00 a.m. Parking and attendance is free, and a merchandise stand will be available to purchase SAC Championship materials.

The Lenoir-Rhyne women are ranked 10th in the Southeast Region and fifth in the SAC. Leading the way for the majority of the season has been freshman Brooke Reynolds, who was the Bears' top finisher in three of the team's five races. She is one of three Bears who have gone under 24 minutes for a 6k and 19 minutes for a 5k. Fellow freshman Jordana Nunez has come on strong as of late, running an 18:54 5k at the Royals XC Challenge and 22:33 6k at the UAH Chargers Invite two weeks ago. Caitlyn Christie, the team's lone senior, will bring a veteran presence to a team full of youth. Sophomores Rosey Parnell and Tigist Siler, as well as Amy Mendoza Lopez, have put together strong seasons with multiple personal bests being set. 

The Lenoir-Rhyne men are ranked fourth in both the Southeast Region and the SAC. A cross country power, Wingate is the No. 1 team in the country while Anderson is 23rd. Catawba came in just out the most recent top-25 rankings and sits just above LR in the region poll. The Bears have only run a few races this season, but showed what they can do at the UAH Chargers invitational two weeks ago, taking 10th in a field loaded with top ranked teams. The team has been led the season by Danny Nugent, who is ranked 104th nationally and has been the team's top finisher in all three events he has run in. Ilias El Khattabi has been right next to Nugent all season and will also look to score big points on Saturday. Ugolin Anselm set a new 6k PR at the UAH Chargers Invite of 24:45.0, with freshman Preston Sangely finishing not far behind. Looking to score in that fifth spot for the Bears will be Craig Allard, Leon Fischer, and Owen Speed, who have each made tremendous strides this season.

This race doubles as a preview for the Southeast Regional Championships on Saturday, November 21st, where the top teams will book a trip to the national championships.