BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech cross country teams return to action Friday afternoon when both squads compete at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational held at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course on the Hokies' campus.
The cross country season is heating up, as five ACC teams – including the Hokies, Clemson, Miami, the Florida State men's team, and the Duke women's team – will be competing at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational. League teams want to run on the course in preparation for the ACC Championships, which will be held in Blacksburg on Nov. 1.
In all, eight women's teams will be competing and seven men's teams.
The Hokies opened the season two weeks ago at the Virginia Tech Invitational, with the Tech men's team winning the event after seven runners placed in the top 11. Will Griffen paced the Hokies, coming in fifth in the 6K event with a time of 18:56.7.
The Tech women's team finished second in the women's 4K race, as four Tech runners finished in the top 10. Sarah Edwards led the Hokies, finishing second with a time of 13:56.1, while Boise State transfer Kyra Lopez and Sara Freix were third and four.
VIRGINIA TECH ALUMNI INVITATIONAL INFO
Date: Friday, Sept. 20
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Course: Buford Meredith Cross Country Course
Times: alumni 4K race (5:30 p.m.); women's race (6 p.m.), men's race (6:40 p.m.)
Distances: 6K (women), 8K (men)
Admission: free
Parking: Parking will be available in the "Cage" lot (if coming in on Southgate Drive, turn left on Duck Pond Drive and take the third left into the Cage lot). There is gate at back of lot that fans can go through and head down to the start line from there (approximately 300 meters).
OTHER NOTES
• Edwards, Freix and Ellie Brush, who finished eighth, all recorded their career best times at the 4K distance while competing at the Virginia Tech Invitational.
• The Tech women's team featured five freshmen who ran unattached at the Virginia Tech Invitational – and four of them finished in the top 25. Lindsey Butler led the way with a 10th-place finish.
• Five of the freshmen on the men's side ran unattached at the Virginia Tech Invitational, and all five finished in the top 25. Paul Cerne led the way with a 16th-place finish.