Men's Cross Country Wins Rhodes College Invitational

Saturday, September 15

Memphis, Tenn.

8:30 am

University of Memphis

Rhodes College Invitational (M: 8k/W: 6k)

Kristen Adams, 2014 Women's Cross Country

Photo by: (Ben Solomon/American Athletic Conference)

Men's Cross Country Wins Rhodes College Invitational

Sep 15, 2018 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Rhodes College Invitational (Men's Results)Rhodes College Invitational (Women's Results)

Women place third; Viveiros takes men's individual crown.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis' Matthew Viveiros won the men's individual crown and led the Tigers men's squad to the team title at the 2018 Rhodes College Invitational Saturday morning. The women's team placed third.

The 28^th-annual Rhodes College Invitational was held at Shelby Farms Park in east Memphis.

The Memphis men's program won its fourth Rhodes College Invitational in the last seven seasons. The Tigers have finished in the top-three at the event the last seven years. With its third-place performance Saturday, the Tigers women's program also has top-three finishes in the event each of the last seven years.

Viveiros captured the men's individual championship in a time of 25:36.3. He is the first Tigers men's runner to win the race since James Maglasang did so in 2012. In fact, Maglasang won three-straight Rhodes College Invitational titles from 2010-12.

Tigers Tidbits

With Matthew Viveiros' title Saturday, Memphis has won a men's or women's individual title at the Rhodes College Invitational for the seventh time in the last nine years.

Year	Title Winners
2018	Matthew Viveiros (M)
2017	Arnica Zitting (W)
2016	Martina Rodriguez Sala (W)
2015	Martina Rodriguez Sala (W)
2014	-----------
2013	-----------
2012	James Maglasang (M)/Louisa Lingley (W)
2011	James Maglasang (M)
2010	James Maglasang (M)

Saturday's Rhodes College Invitational team title was the second for Memphis in 2018. The Tigers won the season-opening Brooks Twilight Classic Sept. 1.
With its two team championships in 2018, it is the second time in three seasons the Tigers men's program has won two crowns in the same season. In 2016, Memphis won the Rhodes College Invitational and Austin Peay Cross Country Festival titles. Prior to 2016, the last time the men's program won two races in the same campaign was in 1998.
Viveiros won his first collegiate 8k race Saturday. His previous-best collegiate 8k performance was third at the 2016 Rhodes College Invitational. Viveiros posted his best 8k time at the 2016 Rhodes College Invitational with a 25:32.4.
Viveiros' first-place performance Saturday was the 10^thtop-25 finish of his career, including eight as a Tiger (had two as a freshman at Bethel in 2015).
Seven freshmen on the Tigers men's team ran in the first collegiate 8k race of their careers Saturday.
In addition to Viveiros, freshmen Payton Gleason and Tate and Zachary Wyatt all logged top-25 finishes for a second-straight race.
On the women's side, Kristen Adams ran her best 6k time (23:25.5) since the 2014 American Athletic Conference Championships AAC Championships (21:39.0). Her time Saturday also was her best in a Rhodes College Invitational since 2014 (21:44.6).
Gabrielle Byndas posted the highest 6k finish of her career Saturday, crossing the finish line in 21^stplace. She placed 14^th(2016) and 21^st(2017) at the Rhodes College Invitational, but both were 5k races. Byndas has three career top-25 performances.
Although expected to miss a second-straight race to open 2018 due to recovery from injury, Paige Sandwell did run Saturday and was the team's top finisher (5^th). It was the highest 6k finish of her career.
Ashley Peterson and Hannah Pettigrew had the highest 6k finishes of their careers Saturday. Peterson's time (25:14.3) was just a second off her 6k personal-best (25:13.7).
Freshmen Erin Gilbert and Madi Ray ran in the first collegiate 6k race of their careers Saturday.

Head coach Kevin Robinson comments
"I feel positive about the men's performance in taking the victory. Our group of freshmen did a good job and closed the gaps a little. It's the first time we've raced in an 8k this year, so it's a little longer than they're used to running. It's still early in our season, and they did a good job but there's some room for improvement.

"We've got to get Matt (Kamph) back in the mix. He's a strong leadership presence for that group, so when he's there and he's on, it really helps the whole team come together.

"For the women's team, it was good to have Paige (Sandwell) back. She's not 100 percent yet, but having her back out and letting her get a taste of competition was good for her. We need to keep her healthy and making progress. The rest of the women's team needs to continue to improve and get better with each race. We'll see where it takes us by the time championship season rolls around."

2018 Rhodes College Invitational/Memphis Results (top five finishers count in team score)

Men's Race (8k); Memphis Team Finish: 1^st(50 points)

Place	Name	Time
1	Matthew Viveiros	25:36.3
5	Zachary Wyatt	26:01.7
6	Payton Gleason	26:03.8
9	Tate Wyatt	26:25.3
29	Christian Corsello	27:29.4
49	Brendan Hill	28:09.3
53	Avery Wood	28:22.6
	Emmanuel Cullins	28:22.9
	Joshua Hamlet	30:31.8

Women's Race (6k); Memphis Team Finish: 3^rd(98 points)

Place	Name	Time
5	Paige Sandwell	22:49.2
9	Kristen Adams	23:25.5
21	Gabrielle Byndas	24:13.4
25	Madi Ray	24:18.4
38	Ashley Peterson	25:14.3
42	Hannah Pettigrew	25:29.6
45	Erin Gilbert	25:42.4
	Gabriella Pabst	27:23.2