July 21, 2015
With experience on their roster and success on their resumè, the members of the Vanderbilt cross country program enter the 2015 campaign with high expectations.
The Vanderbilt coaching staff — head coach Steve Keith and assistant coach Rhonda Riley — has released the schedule for both the men’s and women’s teams as the Commodores look to enhance their reputation as one of the elite programs in the SEC. The Vanderbilt women are coming off a benchmark season in which they captured their first-ever NCAA East Regional title and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the fourth consecutive year.
“We are very excited about the schedule,” said head coach Steve Keith. “It’s a good mix in terms of having a few meets that we compete in each year along with also having some new meets, like Notre Dame.”
The Commodores open the season on Sept. 5, competing in the annual Belmont Opener. The Vanderbilt teams then will host their lone home meet of the season, the Commodore Classic, on Sept. 19. Two weeks later, the Commodores travel to South Bend, Ind., for the Notre Dame Invitational. The VU women then close the regular season with a visit Wisconsin for the Wisconsin Invitational on Oct. 16, while the men head to Tuscaloosa for the Crimson Classic on that same day.
“We are looking forward to the Notre Dame meet in October,” said Riley. “Notre Dame does a great job of putting together a competitive field of teams and we are excited to bring both of our men’s and women’s squad to the meet. It is a fast course similar to the national course in Louisville so this will benefit the ladies in the long run.”
In late October, the Commodores head into the postseason, beginning with the SEC Championships, which will be hosted by Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, on Oct. 30. The NCAA Regionals are scheduled for Nov. 13 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and the NCAA Championships are set for Nov. 21 in Louisville.
“Texas AM is hosting the SEC meet for the first time on their new course,” said Riley, “and we look forward to competing on a dedicated cross country course.”
The Vanderbilt women have seven upperclassmen on the roster, including seniors Sara Barron, Katherine Delaney and Vanessa Valentine. The Commodore roster also features several new faces, with five touted freshman joining the team — Devon Grisbaum, Ginger Hutton, Rebecca Jacobson, Caroline Pietrzyk and Sara Tsai. The Vanderbilt men’s team features seniors Nick French and Sam Reilly.
“We are very excited to see what the season holds,” said Keith. “We are looking forward to the challenges and working our way through the season.”
VANDERBILT 2015 XC SCHEDULE
Meets include both VU men and women unless otherwise noted.
Sept. 5 – Belmont Opener (Nashville, Tenn.)
Sept. 19 – Commodore Classic (Nashville, Tenn)
Oct. 2 – Notre Dame Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Oct. 16 – Women: Wisconsin Invitational (Madison, Wisc.)
Oct. 16 – Men: Crimson Classic (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 13 – NCAA Regionals (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 21 – NCAA Nationals (Lousiville, Ky.)