Cross Country Produces Strong Start at FAU Invitational

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The University of Miami’s cross country team had four top ten finishers at the FAU Invitational Friday night. 

Sophomore Dylan Sykes finished sixth in the men’s 5K with a time of 15:38. Sykes, the leader heading into the 2018 season, set the tone early alongside freshman James Hassell and junior Matthew Wiefels, who finished within milliseconds of each other to place 15th and 16th overall, respecitvely. 

“Dylan established himself as the leader of our young group today with his gutsy performance,” distance coach Damon Griffiths said. “James and Matthew also had solid races.” 

On the women’s side, freshman Ryley Howard began her Miami career with a personal best time of 18:45, as she placed third overall in the women’s 5K at the Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park. 

“Riley ran a lifetime best in her collegiate debut,” Griffiths said. “We need more out of our returners to win a meet like this.” 

Top women’s returner, Anne den Otter, finished seventh overall with a time of 19:07. Sophomore Abigail Kettle finished close behind in eighth with a time of 19:13 to round out the Canes top 10 finishers. 

“Today was a good indicator of where we are mentally and physically,” Griffiths said. “There were some good early season performances. Now we have a couple of weeks to work on areas of weakness.” 

The Canes, who had six men and 10 women competing, will race again at the UCF Invitational in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 15.  

For more information on the 2018 cross country schedule, click here. 
 

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.