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The University of Utah Athletics
Cross Country Squads To Run At ASU Invitational Saturday
10/5/1999 12:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 5, 1999
SALT LAKE CITY - The University of Utah cross country team will participate in the ASU Invitational Saturday, Oct. 8 in Gilbert, Ariz. The Ute men enter the race ranked 19th in the country, breaking into the top 25 for the first time this season.
The women will run a 5k race beginning at 4:30 (PT) and the men will run an 8k race starting at 5:00 (PT) at Freestone Park. Utah did not compete last weekend, giving way to intense practices to prepare for this meet.
"This invitational was originally set up to be a highly competitive meet with other nationally ranked schools," said Head Coach Mike Jones. "Teams can earn points for their performance at this meet in order to obtain an at-large birth to the NCAA national championships. I chose this meet because there are lots of quality teams competing and if we run well against them, we will earn points." Besides Utah, Arizona State is ranked 17th in the country, with Adams State, UC Davis and Western State College ranked first, second, and third respectively, among Division II schools.
The men's team won the Sundodger Invitational Sept. 25 in Seattle, Wash., and Jones believes they will challenge for a top finish in Arizona. "The objective is to get Phil Stoddard, Mike Strauss, Adam Stark, and Leon Gallegos to run closer together as a group," says Jones. "If they do that, they've got a chance to win the race."
The women's team continues to battle with inexperience and injury. The women placed ninth overall at the Sundodger Invitational two weeks ago. Johanna Nielsen, who was named Mountain West Conference athlete of the week after her seventh place finish at Sundodger, should challenge for a high individual finish again this week. "Johanna should perform very well," says Jones. "This is an opportunity for her to run against the nation's best." Lauren Adams, still recovering from the effects of a stress fracture, will compete for Utah this week after pulling out of the Sundodger race.
Up next for Utah is the pre-NCAA Meet hosted by Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., Oct. 16. Bloomington is the site of the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 22.
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