NCAA QUALIFIERS HIGHLIGHT FIELD OF 2011 HORNET JAMBOREE

9/8/2011

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento State cross country programs will host the annual Hornet Jamboree on Saturday, Sept. 10, at Granite Regional Park.

The meet features 10 races featuring high school and collegiate races. Action begins at 7:45 with the 2-mile high school boys junior varsity race. That race will be followed by the girls JV, varsity boys Green Session and varsity girls Green Session.

The women's 5K collegiate race will begin at 9:45 a.m. and is followed by the men's 4-mile race at 10:15.

The collegiate field is one of the best assembled for the Hornet Jamboree. In the women's race California and UC Davis each were ranked among the top 10 in the West Region Preseason Poll. Also scheduled to compete are Fresno State, Santa Clara and Saint Mary's.

The men's field has a pair of national powers and two other conference champions. Minnesota, which is ranked third in the Midwest Region, makes its first appearance at the Jamboree. The Golden Gophers will feature NCAA All-American Hassan Mead who will be competing in cross country for the first time since 2009. Mead was also the Big Ten champion in the 10K in 2011.

Cal has qualified for the NCAA Championships in three of the last four years. The Golden Bears are led by senior Maxim Chebee who finished 18th at the 2010 Championships and was an all-West Regional selection.

Big West champion UC Davis and Western Athletic Conference winner Fresno State and the West Coast Conference's Santa Clara and St. Mary's will also add talent to the field.

Sacramento State opened its season with a tune-up meet at UC Davis. The men's team is led by a trio of sophomores in Reesey Byers, Zach Kaylor and Cole Younger. At the Aggie Open, Younger finished second and Byers was third.

The women are looking to replace three of their leaders from a year ago, including all-Big Sky selections Renisha Robinson and Erin Lewis.  Junior Rachel Mitchell was third at the Aggie Open and was immediately followed by sophomore Veronica Stinnett.

UC Davis and California claimed the men's and women's titles, respectively, at the 2010 Hornet Jamboree. The individual winners were Jon Peterson and Krista Drechsler both of UCD.

MEET SCHEDULE
7:45 - 2-Mile Green Session Boys JV
8:15 - 2-Mile Green Session Girls JV
8:45 - 5K Green Session Boys Varsity
9:15 - 5K Green Session Girls Varsity
9:45 - 5K Women's Collegiate
10:15 - 4-Mile Men's Collegiate
10:45 - 5K Gold Session Boys Varsity
11:15 - 5K Gold Session Girls Varsity
11:45 - 2-Mile Gold Session Boys JV
12:15 - 2-Mile Gold Session Girls JV