OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City takes its men's and women's cross country teams to the NAIA Cross Country Championship in Tallahassee, Florida on Friday.
 
The women's race begins at 7:30 a.m. Central time and the men's race launches at 8:30 a.m. Central at Apalachee Regional Park.
 
OCU Notebook
Women's Entries: OCU sends eight entrants to the season finale. Representing the OCU women are Erika Pena, Florencia Cabrera, Isabelle Spiller, Makenzi DeHart, Kenzi Readnour, Isabella Gutierrez, Keira Readnour and Mattie Adams.
 
Men's Entrants: The men's contingent is Hendrick Ramriez, Ayenew Devany, Riley Randall, Ryan McLaughlin, Jack Reed, Carson Patten, Braydon Whitthorne and Cooper Phillips.
 
Women's SAC Champions: Oklahoma City successfully defended its Sooner Athletic Conference Women's Cross Country Championship with a dominating performance to earn the trip to nationals. OCU has won 10 of the last 11 SAC titles. The Stars put seven runners on the All-Conference team and won the event with all five scorers in the top eight and 23 points. Erika Pena sparked the Stars in second place, finishing the six-kilometer course in 22:29. OCU's freshman trio of Kenzi Readnour, Isabella Gutierrez and Keira Readnour all finished in the top six. Kenzi Readnour was third at 22:42, Gutierrez placed fourth at 22:52 and Keira Readnour took sixth at 23:11. Isabella Spiller rounded out OCU's scoring in eighth place at 25:28. Florencia Cabrera was 10^th at 23:39 and Makenzi DeHart finished 14^th at 25:03, giving both runners All-Conference status. Mattie Adams was 29^th at 27:14 and Emily Schneider finished 41^st at 27:53.
 
Men's SAC Champs: Oklahoma City won its ninth consecutive Sooner Athletic Conference men's cross country championship, running away with this year's title. OCU's Ayenew Devany held off Tanner Smith of College of the Ozarks by just over a second to claim the individual title. He finished the eight kilometers in 24:50.9. The Stars won with 39 points and all five scoring runners in the top 12. OCU had 15 All-Conference qualifiers and now marches on to the NAIA Championships on Nov. 21. Hendrick Ramirez was seventh at 25:38 and Riley Randall was eighth at 25:54. Ryan McLaughlin placed 11^th at 26:11 and Carson Patten was 12^th at 26:15 to round out the scoring five. Braydon Witthorne earned All-Conference in 15^th at 26:25. Jack Reed was 19^th at 26:47. Also for the Stars, Cooper Phillips was 27^th at 27:17, Jacoby Nance was 32^nd at 27:40 and Robert Manzo was 54^th at 30:26. The Stars have won 12 of the last 13 SAC titles.
 
Last Year's Men's Nationals: The Stars placed seventh at the national meet last season but only Riley Randall returns form the scoring crew of that race. Randall had a PR of 25:20 in the race.
 
Last Year's Women's Nationals: The Stars were 23^rd last year at nationals, led by Erika Pena in 69^th. Isabelle Spiller and Florencia Cabrera also were in the scoring five last season for OCU and Makenzi DeHart also ran in the event.
 
Award Winners: OCU has captured five SAC Runner of the Week honors this season, led by freshman Kenzi Readnour on the women's side with three. Ayenew Devany has won the award twice. College of the Ozarks Tanner Bailey is a four-time winner and CO's Keena Goze has won it three times.
 
Men's Scorers: The Stars have had three runners lead the pack in their four meets this season. Ayenew Devany has led three times and Hendrick Ramirez and Braydon Witthorne have led once each Carson Patten have been in the scoring five in all five races. Witthorne, Ramirez and Riley Randall have scored in four events and Devany's three wins were his lone appearances.
 
Women's Scorers: Oklahoma City's Erika Pena led the Stars for the first time this season at the SAC Championships. Kenzi Readnour  led OCU in the previous four races this season and has been joined in each race's scoring five by freshman classmates Keira Readnour and Isabella Gutierrez. Erika Pena has been an OCU scorer four times Florencia Cabrera has been in the scoring five three times. Isabelle Spiller, Makenzi DeHart and Mattie Adams have scored in one meet each for the Stars.