Nov. 14, 2008

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason cross country teams will participate in the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships this Saturday. The meet will take place at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, N.C. beginning at 11 a.m.

Samantha Fickel and Karlyn Lockie will represent Mason on the women's side. Of the following nine runners, seven will compete for the men on Saturday: Scott Tekesky, Everett Hackett, James Burns, James Snyder, Matt Bailey, Anthony LaMastro, Robert Reynolds, Ryan Murphy and Chris Palmer.

The race distance for the men is 10k, up from the usual 8k distance that most regular season races are. The women's race is set for a distance of 6k.

CAA conference foe William and Mary is predicted to challenge favorites University of Virginia and North Carolina State for the title on the men's side. Virginia is ranked 13th nationally with William and Mary and North Carolina State ranked 17th and 18th, respectively. Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina are predicted to be the three front-runners for the women's title. The top-two teams for both the men and women will earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championship to be held in Terre Haute, Ind.

Mason will wrap up its 2008 cross country season the following weekend as the IC4A and ECAC Championship meets are scheduled to be run in New York, N.Y. on Nov. 22. Following two days later on Nov. 24 are the NCAA Championships.