Cross Country Preview: Greater Louisville Classic

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis men's cross country team gets a taste of what the postseason feels like when it runs in Saturday's 17^th-annual Greater Louisville Classic, one of college cross country's most-prestigious, regular-season races. Memphis is slated to run in the Gold race.

The talent and competition for Saturday's event will be strong and intense, and the race site, E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park, has been a three-time host of the NCAA Cross Country Championships (2012, 2015, 2017).

The Tigers, ranked No. 15 in this week's U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Region poll, bring momentum into Saturday's event with first-place team finishes in their first two races of 2018. Memphis won the season-opening Brooks Twilight Classic Sept. 1 and followed that up by taking the team crown at the Rhodes College Invitational Sept. 15.

On the women's side, junior Paige Sandwell is scheduled to run in the women's Blue race Saturday.

Greater Louisville Classic Schedule

Time (CT)	Race	Distance
8:30 a.m.	Men (Gold)	8k
10:30 a.m.	Women (Blue)	5k

Head coach Kevin Robinson comments
"I'm excited for Saturday because, to me, this is the real start to our cross country season. We've had two local races that we've used to train a little, and those races gave us insight on who we are and where we're at.

"This Saturday's race is going to be different. It's going to be a much higher level of competition, a much more challenging course. Our guys are in a better place now, a little more fit, and the newcomers have a couple of collegiate races under their belts. I'm excited to see how they respond to this higher level of competition. We're confident that we can go in, run well and be competitive. This will be our first true test of the season."

Tigers Tidbits

The Tigers men's squad is running in its second-straight Greater Louisville Classic Saturday.
Saturday's race is the second-straight 8k for the men's team. The Tigers ran their first 8k of 2018 at the Sept. 15 Rhodes College Invitational.
Thirty schools, including No. 19 nationally ranked Middle Tennessee, are competing in the men's 8k Gold race Saturday.
Senior Matthew Viveiros (13^th) and junior Matthew Kamph (7^th) placed in the top-15 of last year's Blue race. Both are expected to run Saturday.
Last year, the Tigers men's team competed in the Greater Louisville Classic's Blue race and won the team title. Julian Sanchez-Pinto took the Blue race individual crown.
On the women's side, Paige Sandwell placed 10^th (18:40.83) in last year's Blue race at the Greater Louisville Classic. Her 18:40.83 time is a 5k personal-best.

Up Next
The Tigers break from competition next week and return to the course at UAB's Blazer Classic Oct. 12.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Julian Sanchez-Pinto

University of Memphis Athletics