University of Tennessee Athletics
HUGE FIELD AWAITS VOLS AT GREATER LOUISVILLE CLASSIC
September 22, 2005 | Cross Country
Sept. 22, 2005
After two consecutive meets featuring small fields and Tennessee wins, the cross country Volunteers change gears Saturday morning as 55 men's teams report for the 8K Greater Louisville Classic. The 55-team field was so swollen that meet officials decided to host two races instead at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky.
Tennessee suits up for the gold race at 9:30 a.m. to open the day with 35 other collegiate teams. Belmont, Dayton, Louisville, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Navy and Xavier are just a few of the schools entered in the gold race. Louisville won the 2004 meet championship. Belmont took the 2003 title. To keep its undefeated streak alive Tennessee will have to best a larger field than qualifies for the NCAA championship. The rest of the men's teams compete in the blue race at 11 a.m.
"The Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic will be our first real test of the season," head coach George Watts said. "We will need to be prepared to handle a much larger field than we have had in our previous races. It will be important to establish position during the first mile to avoid getting caught up in the middle of the pack. This will enable us to run more freely during the race and not have to weave our way through large packs of runners. Our races from here on out take on much more significance."
Tennessee's travel roster isn't yet finalized. Watts expects to take about 10 Vols for the season's third race. Dusty Miller and co-captain Zach Sabatino, the leaders in the Volunteer pack for the season-opening Chattanooga Invitational and last Friday's Tennessee Invitational, respectively, are expected to race.
The 8K course at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park features three hills and rolling terrain throughout.
SEC CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP MOVED FROM LSU TO SOUTH CAROLINA
The 2005 SEC Cross Country Championship has been moved from LSU to South Carolina because of the continuing role Baton Rouge, La., is playing in Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. The championship will still be contested Oct. 29 but will be held on an 8K course at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C.
