CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's and women's cross country teams released their schedules for the 2015 season, head coach Shawn Flanagan announced today.
Entering his 16th season as the head coach of the Islanders, Flanagan crafted this season's schedule to put his athletes in a position to succeed in major competitions at the end of the year.
"In all of our schedules, we are trying to build our athletes toward peak performances at the Southland Conference and regional and national meets," said Flanagan. "That is why we go to some very challenging meets, as well as some meets that are not as tough. Everything is dedicated to getting the team ready for meets at the end of the season."
The Islanders will then start their season at the UT-Rio Grande Valley Relays on Sept. 4, running to defend their title. Last year, the men's and women's teams won in dominating fashion, as both teams secured five of the top six finishes in the race.
Flanagan's squads will split up for a pair of races on Sept. 11 and 12. Part of the men's and women's teams will head to Houston, on Friday for the Rice Invitational, while another group from the Island will run in the Southland Conference Preview at Stephen F. Austin in Huntsville, Texas, on Saturday, where the athletes will measure themselves against other Southland Conference opponents and study the course that will be used for the conference championship in November.
After a week of rest, the Islanders will host their only home event of the season at the 16th Annual Islander Splash on Sept. 25. This year's event will be the first time that the Splash will be held at the Dr. Jack A. Dugan Family Soccer and Track & Field Stadium on Momentum Campus. In last year's event held at West Guth Park, the men took home the title in first-place, while the women finished in third. As a part of the Splash, the stadium will have a middle school meet on Sept. 24, before hosting a high school meet on Sept. 26.
Flanagan's runners will compete against some of the top-ranked teams in the nation at the Texas Invitational in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 2. Then, the Islanders will hit the road again for the Incarnate Word Invitational on Oct. 10, where the men secured victory last year and the women posted a second-place finish.
The runners will have nearly three weeks off before competing at the Southland Conference Championships in Huntsville, Texas, on Nov. 30.
Two weeks later, Flanagan's runners will represent Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the NCAA South Central Regional on Nov. 13, as the Islanders hope to qualify for the NCAA Division I National Championships held in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 21.
For updates on the race and all the latest information, follow Islanders Cross Country on Twitter and Instagram (@IslandersTFXC) and Facebook (Texas A&M Corpus Christi Track & Field/Cross Country).
