The Kansas cross country teams traveled to Lubbock, Texas, for the Big 12 Championship Friday with hopes of bettering their finishes of last year. Competing against a tough conference in 2007, the two teams fared well, while barely missing that mark. Assistant coach Doug Clark addressed some of his expectations at Tuesday’s press conference.

“I think that it is hard to set expectations for this race, because you never know how the other teams will compete,” Clark said. “I think that the men will finish around fifth, but if they compete as well as they can, somewhere around third.”

The expectations were not quite met: The men finished seventh this year, compared with their previous mark of third in 2006. Senior Colby Wissel led the way for the Jayhawks and was at the head of the pack for most of the race. After finishing first last year, Wissel posted another valiant effort, finishing fifth overall. With a good men’s field this year and a tough course, Wissel showed why he is an All-American and posted a good time for the squad.

The other All-American on the men’s side, Paul Hefferon, once again was the second to cross the line for the Jayhawks, finishing 21st overall. Hefferon also had a strong performance in his last Big 12 Championship, posting a time of 25:28. As in weeks past, Bret Imgrund finished third for the time and 42nd overall.

The women’s team tried to improve upon its 11th-place finish from last year but, in the end, came up just short. Despite another sold performance from sophomore Lauren Bonds, the team finished 11th for the second year in a row. The women’s race was competitive this year, and Bonds rose to the occasion, finishing 30th overall, 28 places ahead of her finish last year.

Bonds was not the only one to push the pace — seniors Alicia McGregor and Hayley Harbert were right behind her, finishing 41st and 47th. Harbert finished the Big 12 Championship with her best race of the season and a new personal record.

The two teams’ chance to overcome their tough luck in the Big 12 Championships comes Nov. 10, when they compete in the Midwest Regional Championships in Peoria, Ill.

— Edited by Matt Erickson