OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City attempts to defend its Sooner Athletic Conference men's and women's cross country championships on Saturday in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
 
The men's race begins at 9 a.m., followed by the women at 9:45.
 
The OCU men will try for their 10^th consecutive SAC title while All-American Ayenew Devany tries to repeat as the conference champion. OCU is ranked 24^th in the NAIA and faces a big hill in the form of 13^th-ranked Mid-America Christian and two-time NAIA Runner of the Week Mohamed Guled.
 
The Stars send a full contingent to flood the course with talent. Marius Delchard, Devany, Carter Fesler, Jackson Fowler, Nelin Kimery, Robert Manzo, Ryan McLaughlin, Carson Patten, Cooper Phillips, Jorge Quinonez, Riley Randall, Drew Reed, Noah Thayer, Carlton Waiguru and Braydon Whitthorne are all entered in the meet.
 
Devany has raced in just half of the Stars competitions so far, leading the team both times. In his two absences, Delchard has led the effort. A dozen different Stars have been in the scoring five over the four meets, with Delchard leading that stat with three appearances. Devany, Phillips, McLaughlin, Thayer, and Waiguru have each been in the top five twice.
 
The 19^th-ranked OCU women have just six entrants: Mattie Adams, Isabella Gutierrez, Toni Ibarra, Keira Readnour, Kenzi Readnour and Isabelle Spiller. Three-time SAC Runner of the Week Kenzi Readnour has led OCU in all three of the team's group appearances this season; Keira Readnour, Gutierrez and Spiller have finished in that order for the Stars in those three meets and Ibarra has been in the scoring five in two of the three.
 
The women's team is going for its third consecutive conference crown and has won it 10 of the last 11 seasons.
 
OCU is the favorite in the women's race. Host John Brown is a threat to that OCU threepeat, led by three-time SAC Runner of the Week Abigail Stucker on her home course.