Nov. 13, 2009

CORAL GABLES - The University of Miami men's and women's cross country teams travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to compete in the NCAA South Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14. The men will run the 10K race at 10 a.m., followed by the women's 6K race at 11:15 a.m.

The first and second-place teams earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind. There are also 13 national at-large bids available based on teams' performance throughout the 2009 season. The South Region is made up of teams from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Saturday will be the first time since 2006 that Miami has competed in the regional championship. The teams will be traveling with five student-athletes apiece.

For the women, juniors Emma Steppe, Katharine Woodard and Caitlin Knapp will be joined by sophomores Anna Bona and Janet Price in the competition. Price led the women across the finish line in three of the season's six races - while Woodard was the Hurricanes' top performer at the FGCU Cross Country Invitational and the ACC Championships.

The men's side has been consistent throughout the season, with junior Charles Michel the top-finisher in each race. Senior Julio Bonilla has trailed only Michel, as he has been to the second Hurricane to cross the line in each of the events. Along with Bonilla and Michel, the men will send sophomore Matthew Wilson and freshmen Reginald Buford and Greg Kaczka.

Visit HurricaneSports.com on Saturday for meet results and recap. For more information visit the University of Alabama's athletic website at RollTide.com.