Miami XC Ready for FSU Invitational
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The University of Miami track and field program is ready for its third race of the 2015 season, the FSU Invitational.
The Hurricanes have 14 student-athletes slated to run this weekend in Tallahassee, eight men and six women. The FSU Invitational is set to begin Friday morning at Apalachee Regional Park, with the men’s 8000-meter race starting at 7:40 a.m., followed by the women’s 5000-meter race at 8:20 a.m. The 2015 FSU Invitational will include 22 women’s teams and 20 men’s teams, including nine Division I schools.
“This meet will provide us a chance to get a preview of the ACC Championship course,” Miami distance coach Damon Griffiths said. “That should benefit us a month from now.”
Miami will look to sophomore Sean Grossman and junior Jon Keller to lead their men’s team Friday morning. In their last race, Keller was the top finisher on the men’s side, placing 18th at the Mountain Dew Invitational with a time of 26:08.37. Grossman was the second-best Hurricane, crossing the finish line in 26:23.64. Adam George, Alex Margetts, Kevin Marsh, Luke Dublirer, Nick Kaleel and Sean Hagert are joining Keller and Grossman in Tallahassee this weekend.
The Hurricane women will again look to junior Gabrielle Hesslau and freshman Anne Den Otter to carry the Canes in Tallahassee. The duo has teamed to be the top two Hurricane women in each of their previous two races this season.
At the Mountain Dew Invitational, Hesslau finished sixth with a personal-best time of 17:54.22 that ranks fourth on UM’s all-time women’s 5K list. Den Otter, who finished 17th, also posted a personal-best time of 18:31.50 to move up to eighth on Miami’s all-time women’s 5K list.
Miami will also look to sophomore Mulloy Manning to continue her steady improvement. Manning has posted personal-bests at both meets this season, most recently finished the Mountain Dew Invitational in 19:32.11. Andrea Harrah, Carla Rodriguez and Kelly Williamson round out the Hurricane women slated to compete in Tallahassee.
“We are looking for another strong outing from the leaders on both sides,” Griffiths said. “We need Gabby, Anne, Sean, Jon to continue their success, but more importantly, we need to see bigger improvement from the second packs.”
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