San Antonio, TEXAS – The Trinity cross country teams head to Kentucky this Saturday for the Louisville Classic at the University of Louisville. The top 10 runners from each team are set to compete in the first travel meet of the season and the first big test against out-of-state competition. This will be the Tigers' first time competing at the Louisville Classic.
For the men, this will be a showcase of veteran strength and exciting young guns. Nine of the 10 runners competing are either seniors or freshmen. The Tigers' strong core of upperclassmen looks to leave their final mark on the grass as the emerging class looks to begin theirs. This split was exemplified by the top two runners at the UIW Invitational, with senior
James Rush (Iola, Texas / The Kinkaid School) and freshman
Eli Bliss (Garden Ridge, Texas / Davenport) finishing side by side in 20:41 to lead the Tigers' 4-mile efforts.
The next three runners, all seniors, finished within 23 seconds of the lead pack, exemplifying the close-knit top five that represents another strength for the men. After two somewhat underwhelming results, the Tiger men will look to take advantage of some cooler weather and much nicer grass for their first 8k of the season.
While the men enjoy a tight top-five spread, the women have their own advantage:
Gianna Keena (Lakeway, Texas / Lake Travis)
. Her 5k time of 18:08 at the UIW Invitational placed her fifth in school history, behind four women who all made the NCAA Division III Championships. It also would have tied her for the win at last year's Louisville Classic.
The women will also be moving up to their championship race distance for the first time this season as they take on the 6k, looking to capitalize on a strong start to the season.
After Louisville, the Tigers will take on a familiar foe in the Augustana Interregional Invitational in Rock Island, Illinois, on Oct. 18. Both teams will be looking for revenge after two disappointing results last season. While 16 runners on both sides will travel north, the rest of the team will stay close to home for a preview of the SAA Conference Championship course, the same morning at Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX.
