Cross Country Ready for Mountain Dew Invitational
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami cross country program is back in action for the first time in three weeks, competing at the Mountain Dew Invitational Saturday.
The Hurricanes have not raced since the FAU Invitational on Sept. 1, cancelling the Miami Duals on Sept. 8 due to the approach of Hurricane Irma. With Miami’s campus closed following the passing of the storm, the Canes have been training in Gainesville in preparation for this weekend’s racing.
“The past couple of weeks have been challenging due to Hurricane Irma,” Miami distance coach Damon Griffiths said. “We have been able to come up to Gainesville a couple days early to reestablish synergy prior to the competition. I like where we are right now. This week we have to execute individual race goals that should allow our team goals to be accomplished.”
The Canes have 16 student-athletes slated to run on the course at the Mark Bostick Golf Course on the University of Florida. Miami has seven entries in the men’s 8K that is scheduled to begin at 7:55 a.m., while nine Canes will run in the women’s 5K at 8:30 a.m.
Miami’s men’s team is ranked 14th in the South Region by the USTFCCCA, appearing in the regional rankings in each of the last two weeks Nathan Kuck was the men’s individual champion at the FAU Invitational, while Sean Grossman finished second to give the Canes the top two male finishers at the season-opening race. They will look for another big performance in a field that features ranked teams North Florida, Florida and Tennessee Tech.
“I am looking for big race from the seniors, Sean, Adam [George] and Nathan,” Griffiths said. “If we can get a tighter pack from the next four, we have a chance to do something special.”
The Hurricanes will look to freshman Maryam Jawid and junior Anne den Otter to lead the way in a women’s field that features ranked teams Florida and North Florida. Jawid finished second at the FAU Invitational with a time of 18:07 that ranks sixth all-time in the women’s 5K in school history, while den Otter was fourth at the FAU Invitational to give the Canes two top five finishers.
“The women have gotten better since the first competition,” Griffiths said. “Now is their chance to show how much. Anne and Maryam can possibly be top ten this race. We have to have the next pack be tougher in the latter stages of the race by winning individual battles.”
Meet results can be found by clicking here.
Following this week’s races in Gainesville, the Hurricanes will travel to Kentucky for the Greater Louisville Classic on Sept. 30. The race will give Miami the opportunity to race on the course that will host the ACC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 27.
For more information on the 2017 cross country schedule, click here.
Miami Lineups
Men: Nathan Kuck, Sean Grossman, Jacob Triarsi, Adam George, Dylan Sykes, Matthew Wiefels, Sean Hagert
Women: Maryam Jawid, Anne den Otter, Abby Kettle, Emma Langlois, Simone Vreeland, Carla Rodriguez, Olivia Raymond, Daria Pietropaolo
For all the latest information on the Miami Hurricanes, follow the official Twitter feed, @MiamiHurricanes, or “Like Us” on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MiamiHurricanes. Follow @CanesTrack on Twitter for specific news on UM track and field and cross country. The program is also on Instagram.
