Cross Country Team Reveals 2011 Slate
July 27, 2011 | Men's Cross Country
July 27, 2011
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville head track and field and cross country coach Ron Mann announced the 2011 men's and women's cross country schedule, highlighted by home meets in the Greater Louisville Classic, the BIG EAST Championships and the NCAA Southeast Regional, on Wednesday.
"We're excited to have three home meets this season and more opportunities to present our teams to the community," Mann says. "Over the next two years, we'll feature a great schedule, with hosting the Greater Louisville Classic, Pre-Nationals and the NCAA Championships in 2012. It's going to be really exciting for the cross country fans."
In addition to Mann, the Cardinals will be under the direction of first-year coaches Joe Walker and Taryn Sheehan. Walker came to Louisville from Alabama, where he guided the Crimson Tide men's squad to four top-15 finishes at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, eight region titles and two conference crowns. Sheehan, who competed for the Cardinals in 2007-08, returns to Louisville after spending two years at Western Michigan, directing the women's squad to its highest finish (sixth) at the MAC Championships and posting its best finish (15th) at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship.
The Cardinals begin the season with a pair of road meets in September. For the season opener, Louisville heads to Evansville, Ind., to compete at the Mid-America Opener, where the Cardinal women placed first and the men's squad took second last year, on Sept. 3. The trip is followed by the Navy Invitational on Sept. 17 in Annapolis, Md.
In October, the Cardinals are set to race at the Greater Louisville Classic, hosted by the Louisville Sports Commission, at E.P. `Tom' Sawyer State Park on Oct. 1. The Cardinal men won their race last season. Two weeks later, Louisville heads across the border to compete at the Pre-Nationals race in Terre Haute, Ind., at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course, the site of the NCAA Cross Country Championships, on Oct. 16.
The Cardinals close the month at home on Oct. 29 with the BIG EAST Championships. In 2010, the men's team finished runner-up. The last time Louisville played host to the league championships was 2007, the year in which the men won their first title in program history.
"We are excited about the BIG EAST Championships," Mann adds. "Last year, the men made a good run at it. Many members of that team are returning, and we've added a couple people to that team, so we're excited about hosting it on the men's and women's sides."
Louisville returns to its home course for the final time on Nov. 12 at the NCAA Southeast Regional. Matt Hughes, along with former letterwinners Michael Eaton and Kim Grieshaber, earned all-region honors for their respective top-25 finishes.
The culmination of the season, the NCAA Championships, is scheduled for Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Ind., on the campus of Indiana State University. The men's program has earned a team bid to the national championships four out of the last five years.
For all of the latest information on Louisville cross country and track and field, log on to UofLsports.com, or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account at www.twitter.com/louisvilletrack.
| 2011 LOUISVILLE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE | ||
| Date | Competition | Location |
| 9/3/11 | at Mid-America Opener | Evansville, Ind. |
| 9/17/11 | at Navy Invitational | Annapolis, Md. |
| 10/1/11 | Greater Louisville | Louisville, Ky. |
| 10/16/11 | at Pre-Nationals | Terre Haute, Ind. |
| 10/29/11 | BIG EAST Championships | Louisville, Ky. |
| 11/12/11 | NCAA Southeast Regional | Louisville, Ky. |
| 11/21/11 | NCAA Championships | Terre Haute, Ind. |
Players Mentioned
