Nov. 10, 1999

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Three members of the University of Memphis men's cross country team will try to qualify for the NCAA Championships through the South Regional Meet at Auburn this weekend.

The Tigers will all be trying to be one of the first four finishers at the Auburn meet, which would qualify them individually for the Championships which are being held in Bloomington, Indiana, Nov. 20.

Junior Christian Schmallegger, senior Kevin Foltz and sophomore Balazs Laszlo are all heading to the meet that will be held in Auburn, Ala., at 10 a.m., Saturday.

"This meet gives our top three runners a shot at qualifying for the NCAA championships," interim coach Greg Russell said. "We won't be running as a team, but the way the region is set up, individuals can still qualify for the nationals."

Unlike all the previous meets the Tigers have run this season, the Regional course is 10K as opposed to 8K, which the Tigers have run all season.

"The length of the race benefits us because a couple of our guys, Christian Schmallegger and Balazs Laszlo, seem to get stronger the longe rthe distance. And our one senior, Kevin Foltz, had the fastest race of his four-year college career at conference, finishing first on our team, so that seems to be helping his confidence going into the regional," Russell said.

The favorites at the men's South Regionals will be Conference USA champion Southern Mississippi and SEC member Tennessee. Both teams have been ranked in the nation's top 25 all season. Alabama and South Florida also have a shot at qualifying.