Cross Country Set for Greater Louisville Classic
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami cross country program is set to compete outside the state of Florida for the first time this season, racing at the Greater Louisville Classic Saturday.
The Hurricanes have 14 entries in the 16th-annual Greater Louisville Classic, one of college cross country’s most-prestigious, regular-season races. Seven Canes will run in the men’s Gold 8K beginning at 9:30 a.m. and seven in the women’s Gold 5K scheduled for 10:15 a.m.
“We are excited to be competing at this meet for several reasons,” Miami distance coach Damon Griffiths said. “It allows us to preview the ACC and NCAA course, and we also get to compete against several teams in that we will see at the conference and the south regional meet.”
The meet features a bevy of nationally and regionally ranked teams including Auburn, Austin Peay, Belmont, Boise State, Chattanooga, Furman, Illinois, Lipscomb, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, Minnesota, North Carolina, Northern Arizona, Samford, South Alabama, Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee State, UAB, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin.
“With the caliber of teams competing this weekend, we have a great opportunity to gain much needed experience that will be needed at the championship season,” Griffiths said.
A pair of seniors will lead the Hurricane men, as Nathan Kuck and Sean Grossman will look to continue their success after strong showings at the FAU Invitational and the Mountain Dew Invitational.
Kuck has a pair of top five finishes this season, winning the FAU Invitational and placing fourth at the Mountain Dew Invitational with a time of 25:04.0 that ranks fifth all-time in UM history. Grossman has also excelled, finishing second at FAU and 16th at the Mountain Dew Invitational.
On the women’s side, reigning ACC women’s cross country freshman of the week Maryam Jawid and junior Anne den Otter are poised to push the pace for the Hurricanes.
Jawid has been Miami’s top female runner this season, finishing second at FAU and earning her first ACC weekly award after placing seventh at the Mountain Dew Invitational with a personal-best time of 18:00.4 that ranks sixth in UM history. den Otter has also been strong for the Canes, finishing fourth at FAU and 14th at the Mountain Dew Invitational.
Meet results can be found by clicking here.
Following this week’s races in Louisville, the Hurricanes will spend a week training before competing at the USF Invitational on Oct. 13 – their final race before 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
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.
