CLINTON, Miss. — Mississippi Christian cross country returns to action Saturday with the Choctaws splitting the squad between two meets, as the top group travels to Kentucky for the Louisville Classic while the remainder of the team stays home for the Belhaven Invitational at Choctaw Trails.
Mississippi Christian will send nine men and its top women's group to Louisville for one of the biggest meets on the regular-season schedule. The race will give the Choctaws another opportunity to compete against a deep field as the season begins to turn toward postseason competition.
On the men's side, Baxter Friedman and Matthew Singletary will help lead the group into Louisville. Friedman has been one of MC's top runners throughout the early part of the season, including a 15:30.5 performance at the MC Opener that earned him Gulf South Conference Runner of the Week honors.
Singletary gives the Choctaws another experienced runner at the front of the lineup, while Carson Smith, Tristan Bryan, Samuel Bryan, Max Jacketti, Colin Brannon, Benji Hodson and Matthew Meadows round out the nine-man group making the trip.
The Louisville race will give the men another chance to see where they stack up against high-level competition over 8K. With the GSC and NCAA South Region Championships getting closer, Saturday provides another important test for the Choctaws' top group.
On the women's side, Catherine Wallace, Audrey Mayatte and Kinley Harris highlight the group headed to Louisville. All three entered the season as runners to watch for an MC women's team that has established itself as one of the top programs in the South Region.
Andi Kate Holley, Ava Wardlaw, Gabriella Jeffrey, Elena Palacios and Isabella Bailey will also make the trip as the Choctaws look for another strong performance from their front group.
The Louisville Classic annually brings together programs from across the country and should provide both MC teams with one of their deepest fields of the regular season.
While the top group competes in Louisville, the rest of the Choctaws will stay close to home for the Belhaven Invitational at Choctaw Trails.
The meet provides another racing opportunity for MC's remaining runners on a familiar course. It will also give several athletes a chance to move up the lineup and make their case as the Choctaws approach the championship portion of the season.
With two groups racing in two different states, Saturday will give Mississippi Christian a chance to build depth throughout both the men's and women's programs while the top groups get another opportunity against strong competition in Louisville.
