Cross Country Preview: Rhodes College Invitational

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis cross country squads return to action Saturday, Sept. 15 when they run in the 28^th-annual Rhodes College Invitational. The men's and women's races are held at Shelby Farms Park in east Memphis.

Memphis has competed in 11 of the last 12 Rhodes College Invitationals (did not run in 2008), including the last nine from 2009-17.

The Tigers men's team brings some momentum into Saturday's race after winning its season opener at the Brooks Twilight Classic Sept. 1. On the other side, the Memphis women's team enters Saturday's race – as it did in its opener – with injuries to a couple of key performers.

2018 Rhodes College Invitational Schedule

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

Head coach Kevin Robinson comments
"I always love competing at Shelby Farms. I love it for the runners to be able to sleep in their own beds (the night before) and compete where we train. Although we're still a little banged up, I'm looking forward to the competition. Our women's team is still minus its top two or three runners, and our men's team is missing one or two top performers this week. Part of the reason they are out is injury-related, and the other part is us being a little more cautious early in the season and not placing them in races where they are not 100 percent. I'm excited for this weekend, and I think we'll do really well."

Competing Schools
Arkansas-Monticello, Austin Peay, Belhaven, Berry College, Centre College, Christian Brothers University, Crowley's Ridge Community College, East Texas Baptist, Edgewood College, Franklin College, Harding University (women only), Hendrix College, LeMoyne-Owen College,Lyon College, McMurry College, Memphis, Millsaps College, Mississippi College,Mississippi University for Women, Oglethorpe University, Philander Smith College, Rhodes College, Southwestern University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Union University

Tigers Tidbits

Both teams are running in their first 8k/men and 6k/women races this season. The men's squad ran a four-mile (6.4k) race at the season-opening Brooks Twilight Classic. The women's team competed in a 5k at the same event.
The men's team enters Saturday's race ranked No. 11 in the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Region poll. It is the Tigers' first regular-season ranking since 2012.
The Tigers women's team returns only two of its top seven finishers from the 2017 Rhodes College Invitational. They are Gabrielle Byndas (20^th) and Kristen Adams (29^th). Paige Sandwell, who was 10^thin last year's race, is not expected to run Saturday due to injury.
The Memphis men's squad returns three of its top seven finishers from last season's Rhodes College Invitational. They are Matthew Kamph (3^rd), Matthew Viveiros (8^th) and Joshua Hamlet (45^th).
The Tigers women's team enters the 2018 Rhodes College Invitational with a streak of individual champions at the event. Memphis has produced the last three women's individual champions in Martina Rodriguez Sala in 2015 and 2016 and Arnica Zitting in 2017. In the last six Rhodes College Invitational, a Tigers women's runner has won the individual title four times.
Last season, Matthew Kamph's third-place performance in the 2017 Rhodes College Invitational continued a stretch of nine-straight seasons with a top-five finish from a Tigers men's runner in the event.

Memphis at Rhodes College Invitational/Last Six Team Finishes

Year	Women's Finish	Men's Finish
2017	2^nd	2^nd
2016	1^st	1^st
2015	1^st	3^rd
2014	1^st	2^nd
2013	3^rd	1^st
2012	1^st	1^st

Memphis at Rhodes College Invitational/Individual Champions

Women	Men
Arnica Zitting, 2017	James Maglasang, 2010, 2011, 2012
Martina Rodriguez Sala, 2015, 2016
Louisa Lingley, 2012
Emily Malinowski, 2007

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kristen Adams

Matthew Kamph

Martina Rodriguez Sala

Arnica Zitting

University of Memphis Athletics