AUBURN, Ala. – Heading to Tallahassee, Fla. for the second time this season, the Auburn cross country team is poised to compete in its most challenging meet of the year at the Florida State XC Invite/Pre-Nationals on Friday morning.
"This is why you come to Auburn, to compete in meets like this," Tigers cross country coach Aaron Kindt said. "All of the schools running have nationals aspirations. We're going to compete against some high-end programs and really be pushed to our limits. It will be a great experience for our young team."
The Tigers will open competition Friday in the men's 8k Garnet race at 7 a.m. CT with the Auburn women following suit in the 6k Garnet race at 7:35 a.m. CT.
Garnet races will be composed of 32 teams of eight runners from many of the nation's most elite programs.
Auburn will send 13 runners to compete in the event, seven women and six men.
Running on the women's side will be seniors Joyce Kimeli, Presley Weems and Louisa McPherson, junior Sara Pacer, sophomore Samantha Rogers and freshmen Hallie Porterfield and Hannah Thuss.
Kimeli is coming off a hot start to her cross country swan song after winning the women's 5k open at the Joe Piane Invitational.
Weems, McPherson, Pacer, Rogers, Porterfield and Thuss all look to build off their previous performances on the same course a month prior at the FSU XC Open.
Lacing up for the Auburn men will be seniors Tommy McDonough and Jackson Thomas, junior Evan Rogers, sophomores Carson Bedics and Ryan Kinnane and freshman Cooper Atkins, all of which will be returning to familiar ground after competing at the FSU XC Open in September.
Amongst a talented field of competition that includes 10 ranked men's programs and seven ranked women's programs, the Tigers will also run against a handful of Southeastern Conference foes including #22 Alabama (men), #8/11 Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, NR/#27 Kentucky, #28/14 Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt (women).
The race will once again be held at Apalachee Regional Park, the site of this year's NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Live timing for the meet can be found at pttiming.com.
Spectators are welcome to attend and may purchase tickets by clicking here.