Cross Country Preview: Blazer Classic

Live Results

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis men's and women's cross country squads close the regular season portion of their 2018 schedule at UAB's Blazer Classic Friday. The event is the final tune-up for the American Athletic Conference Championships in New Orleans, La., Oct. 25.

The University of Montevallo Cross Country Course is the host site for Friday's races. The course hosted the 2016 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Championships for men and women.

Blazer Classic Schedule

Time (CT)	Race	Distance
9:30 a.m.	Women	6k
10:15 a.m.	Men	8k

Blazer Classic Competing Squads
Men's Teams (21): Alabama, Alabama State, Birmingham Southern, Clark Atlanta, Columbus State, Florida A&M, Florida State, Lawson State CC, Marion Military Institute, Memphis, Mercer, Nicholls State, North Alabama, Samford, Shorter, South Alabama, Talladega College, Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, Troy, Tuskegee

Women's Teams (22): Alabama, Alabama State, Birmingham Southern, Clark Atlanta, Florida A&M, Lawson State CC, Marion Military Institute, Memphis, Mercer, Nicholls State, North Alabama, Pearl River CC, Samford, Shorter, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Talladege College, Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, Troy, Tuskegee, UAB

Head coach Kevin Robinson comments
"This is our final opportunity to sharpen up before the conference championships. We'll have our full men's team back for this race. For the women, we'll have Solstice (Saliba) running in her first race this season, and it will be interesting to see how she competes.

"We've had a little bit of a cold or virus sweeping through the team, so we have a few that are under the weather. But, both teams are in a good place and hungry to compete on Friday. It's crunch time, so hopefully they'll step up and have two great races that will give them confidence heading into the conference championships."

Tigers Tidbits

Friday marks the fourth-straight year the Tigers are running in an event in the state of Alabama. The previous three seasons Memphis ran in the University of Alabama's Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa.
Friday's race is the first time Memphis has competed in an event in the Birmingham, Ala., area since the 1995 Conference USA Championships. That year, the Tigers joined their fellow C-USA members for the championships at George Ward Park in Birmingham. Montevallo is located just 35 miles south of Birmingham.
The women's squad is running in its first race in nearly a month Friday. The last time the Tigers women's team was in competition was at the Sept. 15 Rhodes College Invitational. Memphis finished third in the Sept. 15 race.
The men's squad enters Friday's race with the opportunity for its third team title of 2018. If successful, it would be the first time in program history the Tigers would win three races in a campaign. In its history, Memphis has won two crowns in a season four times in 1989, 1998, 2016 and 2018.
Freshman Solstice Saliba makes her collegiate debut Friday. She missed the Tigers' first two races as she recovered from injury.
On the men's side, freshman Tate Wyatt returns to the course after missing the Sept. 29 Greater Louisville Classic due to injury.

Up Next
The Tigers take a week off from competition and return to the course Oct. 25 at the 2018 American Athletic Conference Championships in New Orleans, La.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Solstice Saliba

Tate Wyatt

University of Memphis Athletics