LAFAYETTE The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's and women's cross country team officially opens its 2019 season on Friday when it travels to compete in the New Orleans Cross Country Opener at Lake Oaks Park.

The women's 4,000-meter race begins at 6 p.m., with the men's 5,000-meter event following at 6:45 p.m. Louisiana will be joined by host UNO in the eight-team event that includes Tulane, Nicholls State, Dillard, Xavier University of Louisiana, Loyola and Louisiana College.

The meet will be streamed live with a lead-pack view beginning at 6 p.m., on Facebook.com/UNOPrivateers with live results available at RaginCajuns.com.

Seniors Stanley Limoh and Jonathan Kimutai are the top returning runners for Louisiana, picked to finish seventh in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll that was released on Thursday. Sophomore Key Alfred will look to build off a solid freshman campaign for the Ragin' Cajuns with returning runners Conner Meche and Rashid Reese looking to be mainstays in the top five.

Middle distance runner Solomon Brent joins the squad after competing last season as a freshman on the Ragin' Cajuns track and field team with freshmen Samuel Avants, Chandler Burns and Riley Plunkett rounding out the newcomers.

Senior Alexa Breaux is the top returning runner for the Ragin' Cajuns, who were picked to finish 11^th in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll, and will be joined by returners Ally McCulley, Alivia Johnson and Kate Ferguson. The women's side will see four newcomers to the roster, highlighted by freshmen Rosalie Michot and Emoni Coleman, along with Lauren Cantrelle and Meredith Hebert.

The Ragin' Cajuns will compete in four events prior to the Sun Belt Conference Championships, scheduled for Nov. 2 in Hampton, Ga. Louisiana will also compete at the Gerald Richey Invitational (Sept. 14) in Arlington, Texas, the Lake Charles Toyota Cowboy Stampede (Sept. 28) and the Little Rock Open (Oct. 19) prior to the SBC Championships.

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