Cross Country Preview: North Alabama Invitational

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis cross country teams are getting off to a "racing" start in 2019 as they run a second-consecutive event this weekend. The Tigers are in action Saturday morning at the University of North Alabama (UNA) Invitational.

McFarland Park in Florence, Ala., is the host site for Saturday's event. The men's 8k kicks off the day at 8:30 a.m. (CT), followed by the women's 5k at 9:15 a.m. (CT).

Memphis is running back-to-back weekends to open a season for the first time since 2010. From 2011-18, the Tigers had a week off between their first and second races.

Competing Teams
Men (11):Blue Mountain College, Christian Brothers University, Cleveland State CC, Cumberland University, Evansville, Jacksonville State, Lane College, Memphis, North Alabama, Trevecca Nazarene University, West Florida
Women (13):Alabama A&M, Blue Mountain College, Christian Brothers University, Cleveland State CC, Cumberland University, Evansville, Jacksonville State, Lane College, Memphis, Mississippi State, North Alabama, Trevecca Nazarene University, West Florida

Tigers Tidbits

This is Memphis' first trip in program history to a North Alabama race. Saturday's event is North Alabama's first home race since 2007. The Lions also are in their second year of NCAA Division I competition. North Alabama moved to the NCAA Division I level on July 1, 2018.
This is the fifth-straight year Memphis runs a race in the state of Alabama. The Tigers raced in Alabama's Crimson Classic from 2015-17 and UAB's Blazer Classic in 2018.
Saturday's race is the first of two for Memphis in the state of Alabama this fall. In October, the Tigers run in UAB's Blazer Classic. It is the first time since 2015 Memphis competes in two events in the state of Alabama. That season, the Tigers raced in the Crimson Classic and NCAA South Region Championships, both hosted by Alabama.
Sophomore Payton Gleason earned The American's Male Athlete of the Week honor after his performance at last Saturday's Memphis Twilight Classic. He is the first Memphis men's runner to receive the accolade since Julian Sanchez-Pinto did so in 2016.

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Players Mentioned

Payton Gleason

Julian Sanchez-Pinto

University of Memphis Athletics