411OnTheForty: Texas cross country announces limited schedules

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Sam Worley led the Texas men's cross country team to a third-place finish in the Big 12 Championship last season (photo courtesy of texassports.com).

The Texas cross country teams learned Monday they would have to prepare itself for a fall schedule that resembles a sprint, rather than a long distance race.

Edrick Floréal, head coach of the cross country and track and field teams, announced that both the men's and women's cross country teams will compete in just two meets this fall, meaning there will be little room for poor performance, and much less time to achieve personal bests and high-place finishes.

Texas cross country head coach Edrick Floral will lead the Longhorns into just two meets this season (photo courtesy of texassports.com).

The Horns will compete Oct. 17 in the Arturo Barrios Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M in College Station, for the second consecutive year. Last season, the women placed ninth at the event.

The Invitational will be UT's only chance to tune up before the Big 12 Championships, which will be held Oct. 30 in Lawrence, Kansas. The host, Kansas, finished fourth in the men's race at last year's Big 12 Championships, and the KU women placed sixth.

Texas is coming off a season in which the Horns competed for the Big 12 title and had the best performance at the NCAA Championships in over a decade. The men's team, led by Sam Worley, earned a third-place finish at last year's conference meet. With fourth place finisher Kathryn Gillespie, the women placed second.

Riley Zayas

Riley Zayas is a high school sophomore and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kids reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, College Baseball Nation and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports website. He currently serves as the Managing Editor of True To The Cru, covering UMHB athletics. Twitter: @ZayasRiley

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