Canes XC Excels at Mountain Dew Invitational
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Miami cross country team had a solid showing at the 2016 Mountain Dew Invitational hosted by the University of Florida.
The Hurricanes had 13 runners, seven men and six women, compete at a meet that featured over 25 different colleges. The men’s 8K began at 7:55 a.m. ET, while the women’s 5K started at 8:30 a.m. ET. Both races were run at the University of Florida Golf Course.
Jon Keller was Miami’s top finisher in the men’s 8K, as the senior placed 11th with a time of 26:06.06. Junior Sean Grossman finished just behind Keller, placing 13th with a time of 26:12.75 and giving the Hurricanes two top 15 finishers in the men’s 8K.
Adam George, Michael Miano, Sean Hagert and Luke Dublirer rounded out the group competing for Miami’s men’s team that finished fourth with 121 points. All six Hurricanes runners finished in the top 50 in the men’s 8K.
“Jon and Sean led us with solid races today,” Miami distance coach Damon Griffiths said. “We finished where I thought we would as a team, behind three solid regionally ranked teams, but I am not satisfied with the results of the second pack. We have to get better.”
On the women’s side, Gabrielle Hesslau was once again Miami’s top female competitor. The senior finished 12th in the women’s 5K with a time of 18:14.76. Anne Den Otter was the next Hurricane woman to cross the finish line, placing 27th with a time of 19:04.30.
“Gabby and Anne ran well today, but I know they would have liked to have done better,” Griffiths said.
Sarah Raboff made her Hurricanes debut at the Mountain Dew Invitational, while Carla Rodriguez, Megan Brown and Sophia Corde also competed for a Miami women’s team that placed 11th with 256 points.
The women’s team did not perform up to expectations today,” Griffiths said. “We won’t be successful if we have off days from our No. 3 and No. 4 runners. With over a month until the championship season, each week it is important to continue getting better physically and mentally.”
Following this weekend’s races in Gainesville, the Canes will run in the USF Invitational (Oct. 14) and the Miami Duals (Oct. 20), their final two races before the 2016 ACC Cross Country Championships in Cary, N.C., on Oct. 28. The Miami Duals will be Miami’s first home cross country event since hosting the Miami Greentree Invitational in 2012.
NCAA Regional Championships are slated for Nov. 11 in Tallahassee, Fla., with the NCAA Championships taking place on Nov. 19 in South Bend, Ind.
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