TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Coming off a pair of program-best third-place finishes at the A-Sun Championships on Oct. 30, the FGCU men's and women's cross country teams will compete in the Eagles' fifth-ever NCAA South Regional Championships at the Harry Pritchett Running Park in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday. The women's 6K race is scheduled to being at 9 a.m., followed by the men's 10K race at 10 a.m.

"Regional meets are really the best of the best and the teams are excited about being tested," said FGCU head coach Cassandra Goodson. "It's going to be a great experience for them and a good opportunity for them to really push themselves and step out of their comfort zone."

THE RUN DOWN
This weekend's field is made up of 493 student-athletes representing 36 universities that compose the South region. From the nine regional championships being contested across the United States this weekend, a total of 31 teams will advance to the NCAA Championships with 18 of those bids being automatic (top-two finishing teams at each regional meet) and the additional 13 being at-large selections. After the NCAA qualifying teams have been determined, 38 individuals per gender are selected to compete at the NCAA Championships. From those teams not selected in the above process, the top-four finishers at each regional are automatically selected, but must have finished within the top-25 of the region. Two additional student-athletes who also finished within the top-25 of their regional field will be selected from the remainder of the national pool as at-large selections.

THE HISTORY
At last year's NCAA South Regional Championship in Tallahassee, the men's team finished 17th overall, tying their program-best finish in 2013, while the women's team, competing in its first regional championship, placed 24th.

In the women's 6K, FGCU was paced by Lauren Tarovisky (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park HS/Morehead State) as she crossed 108th with a 21:40.70. Following Tarovisky were Brooke Sill in 122nd with a 21:57.70 and Anita Munoz (Immokalee, Fla./Immokalee HS) in 132nd with a 22:07.10.
 
Leading the FGCU men in the 10K was Nathan Kandie (Iten, Kenya/Arizona) crossing 70th overall and recording a 32:03.00. Joining Kandie in the top-100 was Cody Adkinson (Port Charlotte, Fla./Port Charlotte HS), who placed 83rd with a 32:18.90.

THE TEAM LEADERS
In five meets leading up to the regional championships, FGCU has been led by strong individual performances on both the men's and women's teams.

Tarovisky, who was named second team all-conference after an eighth-place finish in a personal-record time of 17:48.14 at the A-Sun Championships, has paced the Green and Blue in four of five meets and turned in the women's two best times this fall. Her performance at the A-Sun not only registers as the third-fastest time in program history, but also ranks as the second-best conference championship finish for an Eagle.

On the men's side, Troy Clark (Mount Dora, Fla./Mt. Dora Bible HS) and Kandie also earned second team all-conference recognition after finishing 10th and 11th, respectively, at the conference championship meet. Additionally, Clark became just the third individual in program history to finish inside the top-10 at the conference meet. The duo has combined to pace the Eagles in four of five meets and has turned in the team's top five times this season.

THE ROSTERS
The Green and Blue will send Adkinson, Charles Bengston (West Palm Beach, Fla./John I. Leonard HS), Courtland Bernard (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota HS), Clark, Jean Deceus (Immokalee, Fla./Immokalee HS), Leonel Delacruz (Immokalee, Fla./Immokalee HS) and Kandie to compete on the men's side. Representing the women's team will be Stephanie Cajas (Lithia, Fla./Newsome HS), Courtney Corradetti (Oceanside, Calif./Vista HS), Regan Farrow (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Howell HS), Araceli Leon (Fort Myers, Fla./Estero HS/FSU), Anita Munoz (Immokalee, Fla./Immokalee HS), Morgan Reichert (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins HS/Ohio) and Tarovisky.

THE COURSE
The FGCU men's program has yet to compete on a 10K course this season, while the women finished first as a team in their lone 6K race at the USF Invitational. The ladies placed six individuals inside the top-20 in the meet and defeated host USF by 26 points. As she did for much of the season, Tarovisky paced the Eagles and finished fourth overall in the event in a time of 21:54.90, good for the fourth-best time in program history. Tarovisky earned the program's third-ever A-Sun Women's Runner of the Week honor for her performance and helped led the Green and Blue to its highest ranked in program history as the USTFCCCA tabbed them No. 12 in the South region.

FGCU NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM RESULTS
2012: 20th (Men)
2013: 17th (Men)
2014: 17th (Men) / 24th (Women)
*The FGCU men competed individually in 2011, while the women competed individually in 2011-13.

2015 NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS LIST

Men's Teams List	Women's Team List
Alabama	Alabama
Alabama State	Alabama State
Auburn	Auburn
Austin Peay	Austin Peay
Belmont	Belmont
UT-Chattanooga	UT-Chattanooga
ETSU	ETSU
Florida	Florida
FGCU	Florida A&M
FSU	FAU
Georgia	FGCU
Georgia Tech	FSU
Kennesaw State	Georgia
Lipscomb	Georgia Southern
Memphis	Georgia State
Mercer	Georgia Tech
Miami	Jacksonville
MTSU	Kennesaw State
Mississippi State	Lipscomb
Ole Miss	Memphis
UNF	Mercer
Samford	Miami
South Alabama	MTSU
USF	Mississippi State
Tennessee	Ole Miss
Tennessee Tech	UNF
Vanderbilt	Samford
	South Alabama
	USF
	Southern Miss
	Tennessee
	Tennessee Tech
	UT-Martin
	UAB
	UCF
	Vanderbilt

 
FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of FGCU men's and women's cross country this season, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_XC and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com.

COACH GOODSON
FGCU is led by Cassandra Goodson, whose eight seasons at the helm have taken the Eagles from their humble beginnings to a competitive D-I program, highlighted by four trips to the NCAA South Regional Championship. Every mark in the FGCU all-time record book has been etched during the Goodson era, as she has coached 12 A-Sun All-Conference selections, the 2013 Female Conference Runner of the Year and two members of the NCAA South All-Region Team.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE 
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.