XC CENTRAL: Blazer Classic/Arturo Barrios Invite

Friday, October 12

Birmingham, AL

University of Tennessee

Blazer Classic

KNOXVILLE, TN - 2017.09.02 - Tennessee Dual

Photo by: Kyle Zedaker/Tennessee Athletics

October 11, 2018 | Track & Field

By: Amanda Pruitt

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee cross country teams wrap up the regular season this split-squad weekend with meets at UAB and Texas A&M.

The Lady Vols and a men's team will race at the Blazer Classic on Friday in Birmingham, Alabama. The women's 6K will start at 9:30 a.m., followed by the men's 8K at 10:15 a.m.

On Saturday, the Vols' top eight men's runners will contest an 8K at the inaugural Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, Texas. The race starts at 10 a.m. Eastern. The Tennessee men were originally scheduled to compete at the FSU Invitational in Tallahassee, Florida, but the meet was cancelled because of Hurricane Michael.

LAST MEET: The Tennessee cross country teams gained experience against some of the nation's best and previewed the NCAA championship course Sept. 28 at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational. Running in the 8K men's championship race, the Vols finished 23rd as a team against a field of 19 nationally ranked opponents. Senior Zach Long was UT's top finisher in 30th place (23:50.4). The Tennessee women took second as a team in the B 6K race, led by Katie Thronson in third place (21:01.9) and Megan Murray in fourth (21:07.1). Murray and Karl Thiessen, who was 95th overall and seventh among freshmen in the men's race, earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

TOP 3 TIMES 3: Thronson has finished in the top three in her first three collegiate races, placing second in the dual meet against Louisville (Aug. 31), third at the Auburn Invite (Sept. 7) and third at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invite (Sept. 28). She has been Tennessee's top finisher in all three meets and has earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors twice.

IN THE REGIONAL RANKINGS: The Tennessee men are now second in the USTFCCCA South Region, the highest ranking in program history, after a 23rd-place finish at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational. The women are ranked eighth.

QUOTES:
Beth Alford-Sullivan, Director of Track & Field/Cross Country
"We've had two weeks of training since our last meet, the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational. In that time we've moved from more emphasis on high volume training in September to focusing on quality of training in daily runs. They're feeling really good and really fresh for the races. It's an important weekend about building momentum for the postseason. We're excited about the women's meet in Birmingham and the men at Texas A&M. I look forward to this opportunity to compete one more time before the postseason ahead.

"With Hurricane Michael changing our plans, I appreciate UAB coach Matt Esche and Texas A&M coaches Wendel McRaven and Pat Henry for opening spots for us at their meets and letting us compete with late notice."