BLACKBURG – After being off the past three weekends, the Virginia Tech cross country teams return to action Saturday when both competed at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course on the campus of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Both squads are coming off team titles won at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational held at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course on Tech's campus on Sept. 20. Sara Freix paced the Tech women's team, winning her first collegiate cross country race by running the 6K course in a time of 20 minutes, 45.8 seconds. She led a contingent of six Tech runners who finished in the top 11. On the men's side, seven runners finished in the top 13, led by Peter Seufer, who came in third by running the 8K course in a time of 24:44.3.
The victory propelled the men's team into the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national poll in early October, as the Hokies enter their upcoming meet ranked No. 29 nationally. Tech is currently one of six ranked ACC teams.
UNDER ARMOUR PRE-NATIONAL INVITATIONAL INFO
Date: Saturday, Oct. 19
Location: Terre Haute, Indiana
Course: LaVern Gibson Championship Course
Admission: $5 per person (cash only)
Times: women's blue race (11 a.m.), men's blue race (11:35 a.m.)
Distances: 6K (women), 8K (men)
Watch ($$): FloTrack (click here)
Live results: click here
Saturday's race features 64 women's teams and 57 men's teams. The field includes 10 ranked women's teams and 11 ranked men's teams.
OTHER NOTES
• The Tech men's contingent will consist of 12 runners, including senior Diego Zarate, who has been nursing an injury. He is expected to compete Saturday for the first time this fall.
• Seufer, the reigning ACC champion, has finished in the top 10 of seven of the past eight meets in which he has run. His only finish outside the top 10 came at last year's NCAA Championships in which he finished 16th.
• Dave Whitfield is coming off a 17th-place finish at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational – a meet in which he set a personal-best time of 25:42.7 at the 8K distance.
• The women's team also will consist of 12 runners, including Kayla Richardson, who has missed this season so far with an injury.
• Of those 12 on the women's side, five will be freshmen – Lindsey Butler, Grace Boone, Ava Hassebrock, Hannah Ballowe and Chase Kappeler.
• Also, Ellie Brush (21:40.8) and Emily Schiesl (22:10.6) set personal-best times at the 6K distance at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational.