Lincoln University, Pa.- The Lincoln University men's and women's cross country teams are set to compete in the 2016 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Cross Country Championship.   The 2016 CIAA Cross Country Championship will be held in Joseph Bryan Park in Richmond, Virginia on Thursday morning.  The women's 5K race is slated for 10am followed by the men's 8K race at 11am. 

The Lincoln women look to improve upon last year's third place finish at the 2015 CIAA championship.  Leading the way for the Lions this season is Philadelphia native and  Central High School graduate, Arianna Polk (Philadelphia, PA/Central HS).  Polk, now a sophomore has been the Lions top finisher in every race this season, posting a personal best 5K time of 20:46 in her last race, the Battle of the First held at Lincoln University.  Polk placed 17^th at the 2015 CIAA Championship. 

Senior Genae Butler hails from Baltimore, Maryland and also posted a personal best at the Battle of the first with a time of 21:57.   Butler was Lincoln's top finisher at last year's CIAA cross country championship. 
 
Brooklyn, New York native, Emani  Parsons, a senior  has been the Lions third finisher in each of Lincoln's last three competitions and posted a season-best 23:14 at the Battle of the First. Another Philadelphia native and sister of Lions top runner Arianna Polk (Philadelphia, PA/Central HS), Joelle Polk (Philadelphia, PA/Central HS), also posted a season best at the Battle of the First, finishing seventh overall with a time of 23:26
 
First-year runner Cleo Spear (Sydney, Australia/Oxford Falls Grammar School) could also score for Lincoln.  Spear a native of Sydney, Australia is also a starter on the Lincoln women's soccer team and has been juggling her schedule between the two sports.  She was Lincoln's second finisher at the Wilmington Invitational , posting a 25:15 time on a tough Carousel Park course.   

Lincoln University captured the 2014 team title at the CIAA Championship while Winston-Salem State University claimed the 2015 team title on the women's side.  All five of the Rams' runners finished in the top ten.  Domtila Kiplagat registered the fastest 5K time in the CIAA with a 17:36 finish at the Virginia Union University Panther Classic held earlier this season. 

On the men's side, the Lions hope to build upon last season's 12^th place finish in 2015.  Senior and New Castle, Delaware native Anthony Watkins (New Castle, DE/Neumann University) has posted a personal best 8K time of 30:32 at the Great American Festival in Cary, North Carolina at the beginning of the month.  Watkins has been Lincoln's top finisher in every race this season.
 
Senior Marcus Kinard (York, PA/West York HS) will return to action having not raced since October 1, 2016.  Kinard has the second fastest 8K time on the team this year, 32:11, run at the Great American Festival. 
 
Coatesville, Pennsylvania native Deiondre Brown (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville Senior HS) also posted his season-best 8K time at the Great American festival, completing the course in 33:31, the third fastest 8K course by a Lion harrier this season. A pair of sophmores, Xury Mboya (Willingboro, NJ/Burlington County College) and Frederick Sinclair (West Chester, PA/Bayard Rustin HS) should round out Lincoln's top five.  Mboya and Sinclair ran 34:05 and 35:46 respectively at the Great American festival, both season-bests.
 
Virginia Union University looks to capture a three-peat on their home course this week.  The Panthers have had all five runners finish in the top ten for the past two consecutive seasons.  Reigning 2015 Individual Champion Luis Nieves posted the CIAA's best 8K performance of the regular season at the HBCU Challenge with a time of 26:37. 

Admission to Thursday's CIAA Championship is free.  Spectators should enter the park from Hermitage Road.  Pets are not permitted.