University of Memphis Athletics
Saturday, September 17
Memphis, Tenn.
8:30 am
University of Memphis
vs
Rhodes College Invitational
Photo by: Steve Austell
Tigers Cross Country In Local Meet Saturday
Sep 15, 2016 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
Memphis to run in Rhodes College Invitational at Shelby Farms.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It's home sweet home for the University of Memphis men's and women's cross country teams to begin the 2016 season.
After the season-opening Brooks Twilight Classic Sept. 3, the Tigers compete in their second-consecutive meet in the Bluff City area Saturday, Sept. 17 when they run in the 26th-annual Rhodes College Invitational. The Sept. 3 Brooks Twilight Classic was held at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.
Shelby Farms is host site for Saturday's meet. The men's 8k race starts at 8:30 a.m. (CT), with the women's 5k to follow.
"We're racing here in town again, which is good for us," said head coach Kevin Robinson. "We should be able to put up some good performances. The kids are excited about Saturday."
The Tigers men's and women's squads both have done well in recent Rhodes College Invitationals. The women's team enters Saturday's meet as the two-time defending champion (2014, 2015). The Tigers women's squad also won titles in 2011 and 2012 and finished third in 2013. Martina Rodriguez Sala took home the women's individual title at last year's event.
On the men's side, Memphis placed in the top-three in the last five Rhodes College Invitationals, including three-straight crowns from 2011-13. Last season, the Tigers men's team placed third.
"We've run well on this course in past years, but the course has changed some," Robinson said. "Despite the changes, our runners are familiar with the terrain. The course is a little more challenging than what we ran in our season opener.
"We love competing in this race. Our kids love running in it. Coach (Robert) Shankman at Rhodes does a phenomenal job hosting this event every year. Hopefully, we'll have good weather to run in."
The Tigers kicked off the 2016 season with strong showings at the Brooks Twilight Classic. The women's team placed fourth and the men sixth. In the women's race, Memphis placed four of its five runners in the top-20. The Tigers men had two runners finish in the top-25.
"I feel really good about where we are right now, but we need to improve incrementally while continuing to stay healthy," said Robinson. "The week off allowed us more training and recovery time. We had time to heal some nagging injuries and also get in some long runs.
"The week off also made us hungrier. We had good performances at our opening meet. During the off weekend, our kids saw the results of other teams in our league, and they feel they can compete with them."
After the season-opening Brooks Twilight Classic Sept. 3, the Tigers compete in their second-consecutive meet in the Bluff City area Saturday, Sept. 17 when they run in the 26th-annual Rhodes College Invitational. The Sept. 3 Brooks Twilight Classic was held at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.
Shelby Farms is host site for Saturday's meet. The men's 8k race starts at 8:30 a.m. (CT), with the women's 5k to follow.
"We're racing here in town again, which is good for us," said head coach Kevin Robinson. "We should be able to put up some good performances. The kids are excited about Saturday."
The Tigers men's and women's squads both have done well in recent Rhodes College Invitationals. The women's team enters Saturday's meet as the two-time defending champion (2014, 2015). The Tigers women's squad also won titles in 2011 and 2012 and finished third in 2013. Martina Rodriguez Sala took home the women's individual title at last year's event.
On the men's side, Memphis placed in the top-three in the last five Rhodes College Invitationals, including three-straight crowns from 2011-13. Last season, the Tigers men's team placed third.
"We've run well on this course in past years, but the course has changed some," Robinson said. "Despite the changes, our runners are familiar with the terrain. The course is a little more challenging than what we ran in our season opener.
"We love competing in this race. Our kids love running in it. Coach (Robert) Shankman at Rhodes does a phenomenal job hosting this event every year. Hopefully, we'll have good weather to run in."
The Tigers kicked off the 2016 season with strong showings at the Brooks Twilight Classic. The women's team placed fourth and the men sixth. In the women's race, Memphis placed four of its five runners in the top-20. The Tigers men had two runners finish in the top-25.
"I feel really good about where we are right now, but we need to improve incrementally while continuing to stay healthy," said Robinson. "The week off allowed us more training and recovery time. We had time to heal some nagging injuries and also get in some long runs.
"The week off also made us hungrier. We had good performances at our opening meet. During the off weekend, our kids saw the results of other teams in our league, and they feel they can compete with them."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
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