Louisville Set to Host Cross Country Pre Nationals on Saturday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The University of Louisville will host one of the top colligate cross country events in the country on Saturday, Oct. 14 at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park. The Pre National Meet presented by adidas will bring together some of the top college cross country programs in the nation, as over 1,300 athletes are expected to compete on Saturday.

The field includes eight men's and 10 women's teams that are currently nationally ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Poll that will be racing this weekend. The overall quality of the competing teams will be the on display as team's race on the course to preview for the 2017 NCAA D-I National Championship venue being contest on November 18.

The men's race showcases four of top-eight ranked teams in the country led by Brigham Young University (currently ranked No. 2 in the USTFCCCA national coaches poll) coming off impressive win at the Bill Dellinger Invite two weeks ago, the University of Arkansas (ranked No. 5 in the national coaches poll) winner of the Chile Pepper Invite on September 30, University of Colorado (ranked No. 7 in the national coaches poll) and University of Oregon (ranked No. 8 in the national coaches poll) should all be in contention to win the meet Saturday.

The next group of teams expecting to vie for top five team honors should be perennial cross country power's Virginia Tech University, ranked No.12 in the national poll, off a strong showing at the Louisville Classic. Big East supremacies Georgetown University, coming off a strong showing at Paul Short two weeks ago, currently ranked No.19 in the nation and SEC power University of Mississippi, ranked No. 24 in the national poll.

Individually, the men's race shapes up as a battle of some of best runners in the country. Leading the way should be Dillion Maggad (2017 Paul Short Invite champion w/ 5,000m PR 13:41.17) of Utah State, teammates' Alex George (2017 Chile Pepper Invite champion w/ 5,000m PR 13:40.66). Jack Bruce (5,000m PR 13:38.15) of Arkansas and the All-American trio of Clayton Young (2017 Bill Dellinger champion w/ 10,000m PR 28:45.36), Roy Linkletter (5,000m PR 13:52.59) and Conner McMillan (5,000m PR 13:53.53) from BYU. Other contenders in the mix should be Campbell's Amon Kemboi (5,000m PR 13:47.77 & 10,000m 28:57.45), Georgetown's Jonathon Green (2015 NCAA XC 5th w/ 5,000m PR 13:45.73) and Colorado's Joe Klecker (5,000m PR 13:42.64).

The women's race showcases four of top-10 ranked teams in the country. University of Colorado (coming off an win at Notre Dame two weeks ago) currently ranked #1 in the USTFCCCA national coaches poll, University of Oregon defending 2016 NCAA national champions and currently ranked No. 2 national in coaches poll, Big Ten power University of Michigan currently ranked No. 4 national and University of Arkansas currently ranked No. 9
Nationally in the coaches poll.

The women's individual race should be an evenly matched affair between some of the top collegiate runners in the United States. Expected to contend for top five placing Saturday should be Missouri's three-time NCAA champion Karissa Schweizer (5,000m PR 15:19.14), Oregon's Katie Rainsberger (coming off an impressive victory at the Bill Dellinger Invite two weeks ago w/ 1500m PR 4:11.53), Utah State's Alyssa Snyder (winner of the 2017 Paul Short Invite), Eastern Kentucky's Charlotte Imer, (2017 Louisville Classic runner-up w/ 5,000m PR 15:59.32) and
from powerhouse Colorado Dani Jones, (2017 NCAA indoor 3,000m champion w/ 1500m PR 4:10.74).

The event will commence with the men's seeded race at 10 a.m., followed by the women's seeded race at 10:45 a.m. The remaining runners will compete in unseeded races with the men starting at 11:30 a.m. and the women at 12:15 p.m. Louisville will compete in the final three races of the meet.

University of Louisville Athletics

Louisville Set to Host Cross Country Pre Nationals on Saturday

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