Cross Country Hosts ACC Championships on Friday
October 24, 2017 | Cross Country
Cardinals host their first cross country ACC Championship on Friday
LOUISVILLE, KY. -- The University of Louisville will host the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Cross Country Championships on Friday, October 27 at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park. The event boasts some of the top college cross country programs in the nation, full of nationally and regionally ranked teams in the U.S Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Poll. Ten men's teams and 12 women's teams will be competing for an ACC title.
The men's race features the defending ACC team champion Syracuse, currently ranked No. 4 in the USTFCCCA national coaches poll, coming off an impressive showing at Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invite two weeks ago. Virginia Tech University, ranked No. 11 in the national poll were off to a strong showing at the Pre National Meet in Louisville two weeks ago. North Carolina State, ranked No. 22 in the national coaches poll, are coming off a solid performance at Wisconsin should also be in contention for the win on Friday.Â
The individual men's ACC Championship should be an outstanding race between a group of All-Americans. Leading the way is defending 2016 ACC champion Justyn Knight (2017 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invite champion) of Syracuse, Peter Seufer (2017 Pre Nationals runner-up two weeks ago) of Virginia Tech, first-team All-ACC performer Colin Bennie also from the Syracuse and Virginia Tech's Daniel Jaskowak, coming off his best college performance at Pre Nationals two weeks ago. Â
The women's race showcases the defending champions, North Carolina State currently ranked No. 5 in the USTFCCCA national coaches poll. Â The Wolfpack are coming off an impressive showing at Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invite two weeks ago. The battle for top-three team finishes should be a close one between, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Louisville, Duke and Virginia.
The race for the women's individual ACC championship crown should be an evenly matched affair between some of the top collegiate runners in the nation. Louisville's All-ACC performer Dorcas Wasike is expected to contend for a championship on Friday after an outstanding 11th place finish at the Pre-Nationals.  NC State's teammates freshman standout Dominique Clairmonte (16th at Wisconsin) and Elly Henes (22nd at Wisconsin). Syracuse's  All-ACC performer Paige Stoner, Virginia's fifth-year senior Bethlehem Schmiede and Notre Dame's 2016 first-team ALL-ACC performer Annie Heffernan.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, October 27, 2017
Men's Race 10:03 am
Women's Race 11:03 am
