#22 Utah Cross Country set to Compete at Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational

#22 Utah Cross Country set to Compete at Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational

10/10/2017 7:36 PM | Cross Country

Utah to race against 15 of the top-30 nationally ranked teams

SALT LAKE CITY – The 22nd-ranked Utah cross country team heads to one of the nation's premiere meets, the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, this Friday, Oct. 13. There will be two races on Friday, the championship race beginning at 12:20 p.m. CT and the "B" race set to begin at 11:00 a.m. CT. The six-kilometer race will be held at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course, which is located next to the University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wis. It is the longest race that the Utes have run this season.

"A year ago we were eighth at this meet and it really kind of propelled us into the championship part of our season. It was definitely a meet that got us the points we needed to get into the NCAA Championships," Utah head coach Kyle Kepler said. "Hopefully we can get back, do the same thing, and that would be the goal. Certainly, if we could finish a few places higher that would be great."

Competing in the championship race for the Utes will be seniors Grayson Murphy, Hannah McInturff, Jessica Sams and Louise Mercer, as well as sophomores Poppy Tank and Amanda Gehrich and freshman Trina Moreno. Murphy finished fourth in her lone race of the year at Notre Dame (the biggest race the Utes have competed in this season), while Gehrich and Tank both finished in the top 30.

"I think Amanda and Poppy know there is more in the tank," Kepler said. "Behind them, that is where our question mark is. Can four, five and six and seven really step up. Can they step up and close that gap. If they can, then we're going to have a lot of success. We know that's where our biggest question mark is, and those guys know it too. It's great to have two seniors like Jess and Hannah – they know what they have to get done. They're excited to get back out on the course and improve, do their part and fill their roles."

Running in the "B" race for the Utes will be senior Dakota Grossman, junior Caitlin Faust, freshmen Aubrey Argyle and Bella Williams and sophomore Nicole Griffiths.

Utah is ranked 22nd in the last USTFCCA poll, released on Oct. 3. The next regional rankings are scheduled to come out on Oct. 11. In the Wisconsin field of 33 teams, Utah will be competing against 15 teams that are nationally ranked, including nine teams that have received votes in the latest poll. Notable teams that will be competing on Friday will be No. 3 New Mexico, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 San Francisco, No. 7 North Carolina State, and No. 8 Providence.

"It's a great race, great spectator course, and great course to coach on," Kepler explained. "It's definitely a course that you have to be smart on and can't go too crazy out the start, but you have to position yourself well and get yourself in the race to have the best chance possible to have the outcome you are looking for."