NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt begins the cross country season at the Belmont Opener on Friday at Percy Warner Park. The Commodores are part of a local collegiate field of 10 teams for the 5K race. This marks the 15th straight season the Commodores will begin their campaign at the event.
The women’s race will begin at 5 p.m. CT and the men will start at 5:30 p.m.
“It’s always exciting to get the season started and get a feel for race intensity,” head coach Steve Keith said. “Every season we are working with a somewhat new group and these early races help develop that team dynamic.”
The Vanderbilt women have claimed the event seven times and twice in the past three years. The women enter the season ranked fifth in the south region and sixth among SEC programs.
“We’ve had a few good weeks of training so this is a good time to test ourselves and our fitness,” Keith said. “We’ll run close to a full squad on both sides and then add those who don’t race into the mix later in the month.”
Ten student-athletes will represent Vanderbilt in the women’s race – Reagan Bustamante, Caroline Eck, Grace Jensen, Lauren Moffett, Gillian Mortimer, Niki Narayani, Caroline Pietrzyk, Jacqueline Pinon, Alena Sapienza-Wright and Ana Wallace.
The Commodores will have seven representatives in the men’s race – Jonah Bird, Edward Harpstead, Andrew Irvine, Nick Laning, Lucas Mowery, Harrison Thomas and Caleb Van Geffen.
