MOBILE, Ala.-The University of South Alabama's men's cross country team return this weekend for their first appearance in the Pre-Nationals Invitational. The best collegiate teams in the country will compete at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday, Oct. 17.
"We are very excited about going to Pre-Nationals this weekend. It is a race that we have been working towards since the beginning of the season," said distant coach Tim Goldsack. "This race is going to tell a lot about ourselves and about where we stand with a month before Regionals."
Ranked fourth in the South Region, the Jaguars will toe the line against 13 of the top 30 nationally ranked teams and race 8,000 meters. The Jaguars have not won a conference title since 2006 and the goal for the 2009 Pre-Nationals is to place in the top 10 to earn a spot in Nationals.
The Jaguars have shown improvement since last year coming away this season with three team titles. Competitors should look out for senior Micah Tirop and sophomore Zac Edwards. Both men have placed first and second respectively in the past two meets and are predicted to lead the Jaguars to an exceptional outcome this Saturday.
"Micah and Zac will be our front runners and we are going to try to pack the next 5 guys as a group. Our goal is to have our 3-7 runners to run it as a team and get everyone in as a pack around 70th place in the race," said Goldsack. "We are in an outstanding race and will find out how the younger guys respond to an elite meet. If we run like we are capable of we will surprise a lot of people."
The men will compete in the White 8,000 meter race against 37 teams. Only three of these teams are not ranked in their region. The Jags are scheduled to begin at 11:40 a.m.
"Coach Goldsack and the cross country team have been working very hard," said head coach Paul Brueske. "I'm excited to see the outcome of this season."
Looking ahead, the men's cross country team will take a week off before beginning the championship portion of the season. The team will compete at the Sun Belt Conference Championships on Oct. 31 in Monroe, La. in hopes of bringing home a first place trophy.
Results from Saturday will be posted on the cross country schedule and results page.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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