Oct. 26, 2017
NASHVILLE – The Vanderbilt cross country teams open up championship season on Friday (Oct. 27) when they head to Athens, Ga., for the annual SEC Championships. The men’s 8K race is schedule to start at 10 am and the women’s 6K will begin at 11 am at the UGA Golf Course.
Setting the Stage
Event: SEC Championships
Date: Friday, Oct. 27
Host: SEC/Georgia
Site: UGA Golf Course
Start Times: Men’s 8K: 10:00 am/Women’s 6K: 11:00 am
Live Scoring: Click Here
Championship Season is Here
Friday’s SEC Championship marks the first weekend of the NCAA Championship season. The SEC Championship is the first championship opportunity ahead of the NCAA Regionals in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 10 and the NCAA Championship on Nov. 18 in Louisville, Ky. [ SEC Weekly Release ]
Vanderbilt at the SEC Championship
The Commodore cross country teams have won the SEC Championship one time in program history, with the women’s team taking the 2011 crown in Maryville, Tenn. The win was the first-ever SEC cross country title for Vanderbilt. The men’s team is seeking its first -ever SEC Championship and posted its best finish in 1978 taking eighth place. Neither the men’s or women’s team has had an individual SEC Champion. [ Meet Central ]
Dores Looking to Improve on Times
The Commodores are looking to put all of their training to the test on Friday. Both teams ran championship distances in their last outings at the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational and the Crimson Classic. For the women, at the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational, Maddie Criscione paced the Commodores with a 21:23.5 over the course. As a team, the Dores ran a 2:00.2- minute spread from top to bottom. On the men’s side, Jason Vincze ran a 26:13.1 over the 8,000-meter course to lead the team, while the men’s team had a 2:35.1 spread from top to bottom.
SEC Cross Country Highlight Show on SEC Network
If you can’t make it to Georgia, be sure to catch the highlight show on the SEC Network on Sunday Nov. 5. The one-hour show will highlight the championship.
Preview of the 2017 National Championship Course
The Commodores had a chance to run the course that will serve as host to the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships in November at the Louisville Classic. The 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be hosted by Louisville on Nov. 18.
Scouting The Field
This weekend’s field is loaded as the SEC Championship is every year. The field features five teams ranked in the top-30 in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division I Cross Country National Coaches Poll. The Ole Miss men are ranked 16th, while Arkansas is No. 27. The Alabama men are listed among those receiving votes. The Arkansas women are ranked sixth, while Georgia is No. 16 and Ole Miss is No. 22. Mississippi State is included among the women’s teams receiving votes.
Defending Champions
Arkansas is the defending SEC cross country champion on both the men’s and women’s sides. The Razorback men have won the last seven SEC crowns and 24 in the last 26 years. The Razorback women have won four consecutive SEC titles.
In The Rankings
The Commodore women are receiving votes in the last national poll on Oct. 3 and are sitting as the No. 5 women’s team in the South region for the second straight week. [POLLS]
On Your Marks, Get Set, GO …
A total of 20 Vanderbilt runners will compete this weekend. A list of all Vanderbilt runners competing is listed below:
Women (10)
Kacie Breeding, Reagan Bustamante, Maddie Criscione, Kendall Derry, Devon Grisbaum, Megan Huebner, Ginger Hutton, Anna Grace Morgan, Gillian Mortimer, Mailin Struck
Men (10)
Caleb Casolaro, Sam DeFabrizio, Waqqas Fazili, Edward Harpstead, Andrew Irvine, Aidan Livingston, Evan Suzman, Harrison Thomas, Caleb Van Geffen, Jason Vincze
Last Outings… Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational/Crimson Classic
Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational
Senior Maddie Criscione led the way for the Vanderbilt cross country team in the prestigious Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on Friday. The Park City, Utah native ran a 21.23.5 over the 6,000-meter course as the Commodore’s top finisher. As a team, the Commodores placed 32nd in the stacked Championship division field, which featured seven of the nation’s top 10 teams and 16 of the top 30. Reagan Bustamante ran a career best with a time of 21.48.7 – besting her previous career best time of 22:18.6 set last season at the SEC Championships.
Crimson Classic
Junior Jason Vincze was Vanderbilt’s top runner on Friday the 13th clocking a time of 26:13.1 over the 8,000-meter course at the Crimson Classic to lead the Commodores to a 22nd-place finish. Vincze took 90th place and was joined in the top 100 by teammate Evan Suzman, who placed 96th with a time of 26:16.2, which is his fastest 8K time this season.
Up Next
The Commodores will continue championship season on Nov. 10 when they travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the NCAA South Regional.
A Look at the 2017 Schedule
The Commodores will race in four regular-season meets this season. Following the Belmont Opener, Vanderbilt will host the Commodore Classic on Sept. 16 before traveling to the Louisville Classic (Sept. 30). The men will get a preview of the NCAA South Regional course at the Alabama Crimson Classic (Oct. 13) while the women will head to Wisconsin for the Wisconsin-Nuttycombe Invitational. The Dores will head to Athens, Ga., for the SEC Championship on Oct. 27 before heading back to Tuscaloosa for the NCAA South Regional on Nov. 10. [ SCHEDULES: MEN | WOMEN ]
Follow The Commodores on Social Media
For all the latest information on the Vanderbilt cross country teams give them a follow on Twitter at @vandyxctrack.
