PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A combined 11 men’s and women’s teams, representing seven American schools will run this weekend, as cross country heads into action in week four over the weekend.
The UConn women will be the only conference team racing on Friday, Sept. 22. The Huskies will head to Boston for the Coast-To-Coast Battle in Beantown, where they will take on 18 foes, 10 of which are ranked regionally and two are ranked nationally. The Huskies have won both the races they’ve run in this year. UConn ranks No. 12 in the Northeast Region in the most recent USTFCCCA regional poll.
SMU received votes in this week’s national poll and is No. 3 in the South Central Region. The Mustangs are coming off a first place finish at the Gerald Richey Invitational last weekend, as Charlotte-Tara Murphy led the charge to claim the title. SMU will face five other teams in the regional rankings, including No. 29 Yale at the Virginia/Panorama Farms Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 23.
Last time out, the Houston men’s and women’s teams placed second and third, respectively at the Norry Hersey Rice Invitational. G.J. Reyna won the championship for the men. The men’s team are ranked No. 13 in the South Central Region. Both teams will head to College Station, Texas for the Texas A&M Invitational on Saturday.
John Weaver and Rania Samhouri were the top finishers for USF in back-to-back races. The Bulls will head to Gainesville, Fla. on Saturday to compete in the Mountain Dew Invitational. Both teams placed fifth overall in this meet last season. The race will feature more than 32 teams total for the women’s field and close to 30 for the men’s.
UCF will join the Bulls in competing at the Mountain Dew Invitational. The Knights placed third in this meet last season. UCF hasn’t run since its opening meet at the Florida Atlantic Invitational on Sept. 1. Beth Williams led the Knights, taking ninth in that meet with a time of 19:12.99.
Arnica Zitting won her second straight race to guide Memphis to a second place finish at the Rhodes College Invitational last Saturday. The men’s team also placed second in that meet with Matthew Kamph pacing the Tigers in back-to-back races as well. Both teams will travel to Austin Peay on Saturday for the Governors’ Invitational.
The ECU men’s and women’s teams will head into their third races of the season when they travel to Wingate, N.C. on Saturday for the Bulldog Stampede. The teams most recently ran at the adidas XC Challenge.
Cross Country Schedule
FRIDAY, SEPT. 22
Coast-To-Coast Battle in Beantown (Boston, Mass.)
- UConn (Women’s)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 23
Bulldog Stampede (Wingate, N.C.)
- ECU (Men’s and Women’s)
Virginia/Panorama Farms Invitational (Earlysville, Va.)
- SMU
Mountain Dew Invitational (Gainesville, Fla.)
- USF (Men’s and Women’s)
- UCF
Texas A&M Invitational (College Station, Texas)
- Houston (Men’s and Women’s)
Austin Peay Invitational (Clarksville, Tenn.)
- Memphis (Men’s and Women’s)