PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Nine conference cross country schools will head into action over the weekend to run in six races.
Tulsa’s men’s and women’s teams will run in the Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Okla. on Saturday, Sept. 30. The road race is the oldest in the country and will feature two ranked teams in the men’s meet, including No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Ole Miss. The Golden Hurricane men are ranked No. 22 in the latest USTFCCCA poll, while the women jumped up to the No. 9 spot in the organization’s Midwest Regional poll.
Six of the conference’s regionally ranked teams will travel to South Bend, Ind. on Friday, Sept. 29 to face a strong field at the Notre Dame/Joe Piane Invitational, which features over 50 schools. Temple, Tulane and Wichita State will run at the event. The men’s races will include four nationally ranked opponents, while the women’s teams will run against seven nationally ranked foes.
The Green Wave and Owls men’s teams will see each other for the second time this season, as the two institutions squared off to open the season at the Temple Invitational on Sept. 1. Both sides will run in the “Gold Race” at the Invitational. On the women’s side, Wichita State and Temple will be competing in the same race with each side assigned to the women’s “Gold Race.”
Both the men’s and women’s Temple teams are coming off two straight titles. The men’s Owls squad is listed at No. 9 in the Mid-Atlantic region, while the women are No. 10. Marc Steinsberger has been the Owls’ top finisher in both their races this year.
After taking a week off, the men’s Tulane team is ranked No. 10 in the South Central Region, while the women are ranked No. 11. The Green Wave women are coming off two first place finishes, most recently winning the LSU Invitational. The men’s team took first at their home opener and fourth at the LSU Invitational.
The Shockers’ men’s teams enter the race as the highest ranked team from the Midwest region at No. 8, followed by Iowa at No. 12. In addition to Notre Dame, Wichita State will send runners to the Rim Rock Classic in Lawrence, Kan.
UConn and ECU will gear up for the 44th Annual Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh on Friday. The Paul Short Run is the largest intercollegiate cross country meet in the nation with approximately 6,000 athletes from nearly 450 colleges and high schools slated to compete this year. The Huskies’ men’s team will run in just their second race of the year since winning UMass’ Minuteman Invitational on Sept. 9. The UConn women are No. 12 in the Northeast Region after winning two of the three races competed in this season.
Both the Cincinnati men’s and women’s teams experienced some time off and will return to action for the All-Ohio XC Championships. The race features runners from 53 different institutions from around the Buckeye State.
The Cincinnati men have captured six team and three individual crowns at the All-Ohio meet, while the women have captured one with two individuals crowned champion in past meets.
UCF is coming off a sixth-place finish at the Mountain Dew Invitational last weekend. Ten Knights turned in a season-best mark in the race. For the second straight meet, freshman Beth Williams was the top UCF finisher. She crossed the line in a personal-best time of 18:42.1 for 21st place. The Knights will compete at the Florida Runner Invitational in Titusville, Fla. on Friday.
The men’s and women’s Memphis teams swept the Austin Peay Invitational last weekend for the second consecutive year. Matthew Kamph won the race for the men with a time of 18:14.10, and Mary Betsy Minkler was the Tigers' women's top finisher. Memphis will run in the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday. It is the third week in a row the Tigers are in competition. E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park is the host site of the race. The park also hosts the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA championships.
Cross Country Schedule
Friday, Sept. 29
Paul Short Run (Bethlehem, Pa.)
- East Carolina (
Men’s and Women’s)
- UConn (
Men’s and Women’s)
Notre Dame Invitational (South Bend, In.)
- Temple (
Men’s and Women’s)
- Wichita State (
Men’s and Women’s)
- Tulane (
Men’s and Women’s)
Florida Runner Invitational (Titusville, Fla.)
- UCF (
Men’s and Women’s)
All-Ohio XC Championships (Cedarville, Ohio)
- Cincinnati (
Men’s and Women’s)
Saturday, Sept. 30
Cowboy Jamboree (Stillwater, Okla.)
-Tulsa (
Men’s and Women’s)
Greater Louisville Invitational (Louisville, Ky.)
- Memphis (
Men’s and Women’s)