BAKERSFIELD, Calif.-- The Roadrunner cross country team is set for the 2014 WAC Championships which will take place Saturday, Nov. 1, in Edinburg Texas. Bakersfield will send their squad to compete against the WAC's best in the women's 5k race.

The Roadrunners will send the usual cast to Texas and will expect LaShya Morgan (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Ridgeview HS) to continue as the team leader. Morgan has competed in 10 meets for the 'Runners since joining the squad in 2013 and has paced Bakersfield in each competition. CSU Bakersfield finished eighth of nine teams at the 2013 WAC Championships and will need Morgan to earn as low a point total as possible again this year. The sophomore from Ridgeview High School finished 43rd overall at the conference championship a year ago.

In order to place well in the WAC standings, Morgan will need help from the 2-4 'Runners who will come from the likes of Angel Valdez (Fr., Bakersfield, East HS), Megan Thompson (R-Sr., Fellows, Calif., Taft Union HS), Ariana Mariscal (So., Bakersfield, Calif., North HS), Orieth Rodriguez (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield College), and Tori Blackmon (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Stockdale HS). Valdez and Thompson have taken turns as the second and third 'Runner to finish in just about every meet this season while Mariscal has potential to put up fast times as well. 

“We need to race aggressive and confident to be successful,” said Marcia Mansur-Wentworth, Bakersfield's Director of Cross Country. “We believe this should be our best meet of the season and are excited to see what we can do. We are looking for some individual successes and a solid team outing. [Assistant coach] Lindsey Anderson and I have been working hard to give them confidence in their fitness and get them to believe in themselves.” 

Saturday's championship race is slated to begin at 8 a.m. (CDT) in Texas. Results and a recap of the WAC Championships can be found here after the race.

~www.GoRunners.com~