Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic to Feature 118 Teams from US and Canada
Numerous Top 20 Teams and Individuals to Compete at One of Premiere Courses in US
Louisville, KY – September 30, 2015 – The Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) will host 118 college and university teams from 23 states and Canada in the 14th Annual Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic (GLCCC), presented by Primal Sport Mud, on October 3, 2015, at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park. The GLCCC will bring together many of the nation’s top college cross country programs as more than 2,700 athletes will compete at one of the largest college meet contested in the US in 2015. The field will include 28 men’s teams and 30 women’s teams from NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III, and NAIA that are ranked in the national collegiate cross country polls. The field also includes eight NCAA Division I programs that have won team national championships, most recently the Wisconsin Badger’s men’s team in 2011.
Located in a bucolic setting on the east side of Louisville, E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park boasts one of America’s few championship-level 10K, 8K and 5K cross country courses in an urban area with nearby hotels, restaurants and other amenities. The course has hosted championship cross country events as far back as the 1980s; recent and upcoming events include the 2003-2004-2005 NAIA national championships, 2010 and 2014 NCAA DII national championships, 2012-2015-2017 NCAA DI national championships, 2016 NCAA DIII national championships and numerous NCAA regional championships.
The 2015 GLCCC women’s top race will showcase six nationally ranked teams: Iowa State University, ranked number six in the USTFCAA NCAA D-I National Coaches Poll; University of Michigan, ranked number eight in the NCAA DI National Coaches Poll; University of Wisconsin, ranked number 11 in the USTFCCCA NCAA D-1 National Coaches Poll; West Virginia University, ranked number 13 in the NCAA D-I national poll; Penn State University, ranked Number 19 in the NCAA D-I national poll; and University of Minnesota, ranked number 23 in the NCAA D-I national poll.
The women’s individual race should be an evenly matched contest among several of the top US collegiate runners. Expected to contend for top five honors on Saturday should be Michigan’s Erin Finn (5,000m PR 15:26.08), Iowa State’s Katy Moen (5,000m PR 15:52.72 and 2014 cross country national eighth place finisher), Penn State teammates Tori Gerlach (5,000m PR 15:58.79) and Elizabeth Chikotas (5,000m PR 16:05.46), Hillsdale’s (MI) Emily Oren (5,000m PR 16:17.40 and 2015 D-II 5,000m national champion) and Grand Valley State’s (MI) Kendra Foley (5,000m PR 16:36.42 and 2014 NCAA D-II cross country national champion).
The men’s races will showcase perennial national power Wisconsin, currently ranked number four in the USTFCCCA NCAA D-I National Coaches Poll; the Badgers will be favored to take home the GLCCC team title. The following teams likely will challenge for top five honors: University of Michigan, currently ranked number 10 in the NCAA D-I National Coaches Poll; Iona College, currently ranked number eight in the NCAA D-I National Coaches Poll; and University of Mississippi, currently ranked number 13 in the NCAA D-I National Coaches Poll.
Individually, the men’s race shapes up as a clash of top college runners from the Midwest and Southeast. The lead pack should include Wisconsin’s Malachy Schrobilgen (5,000m PR of 13:51.56 and 2014 cross country championships), Michigan’s Mason Ferlic (5,000m PR of 13:46.89 and 2014 cross country national championships), and University of Louisville’s duo of Edwin Kibichiy (3,000m Steeple PR 8:44.97) and Ernest Kibet (10,000m PR of 28:55.55), both coming off very strong performances two weeks ago at Vanderbilt, and Southern Indiana’s Johnnie Guy (10,000m PR of 28:47.86 and 2014 NCAA D-II cross country national top five performer).
Again this year, there will be competitive high school and middle school races contested after the college events are completed. More than 2,000 prep athletes from Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Missouri, Tennessee and Ohio will compete Saturday afternoon. The first race is slated for 1:30 pm EDT.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Date:
- Saturday, October 3, 2015
Race Times:
- Men’s Gold race 9:30 am
- Women’s Gold race 10:15 am
- Men’s Blue race 10:45 am
- Women’s Blue race 11:30 am
- Men’s Silver race 12:00 pm
- Women’s Silver race 12:45 pm
- High school events start at 1:30 pm
Location:
- E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park