Posted: Oct 01, 2021
FAIRBURN, Ga. - For the first time in 14 years, the Carson-Newman cross country team competes in a regular season meet in the peach state as the Eagles are set to race at the Asics Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 2.
"This is a big meet that has a lot of Division One teams set to compete against us," says cross country coach Mike Spooner. "This is a large course with a very fast start and help get their bodies used to courses like McAlpine at conference and the regional course. It's also different teams than usual and a great opportunity to focus on racing and challenge ourselves and knock off some of the larger schools."
This is the Eagles' first regular season race in Georgia since competing at the Jaguar Invitational in Augusta in 2007. Aubrey Morris won the women's 6K race with a time of 24:41.76, while the women placed 5th overall at the event.
The Eagles last raced in the Peach State at the 2018 NCAA SE Regional in Oakwood. The men's team finished 15th while the women placed 12th. Luke Greer finished the race second overall, while Rachel Strayer and Kathie O'Neil finished 12th and 15th overall to earn All-Region honors.
According to the record books, Carson-Newman has never raced at a 5K or 8K in the state of Georgia.
The Eagles are coming off their second race of the season in Charlotte, N.C. at the Queen City Invite. The women's team earned a 10th place finish at the event, the squad's highest finish at McAlpine Park in program history. The group's average time of 19:30 in the 5K race is a new program record, breaking the old record set at the same race in 2018. Strayer lead the team with a 27th place finish and a time of 18:28.00. Strayer has finished inside the Top-30 in eight of the last ten races she has competed in.
The women also broke five personal bests in the 5K run. Olivia Fanning has broken her personal best in the 5K at every single event she has competed in since 2019. Katie Smock, Karli Yarid and Madison Dockery all broke their marks set at the Tusculum Open, while Imke Van Gog made her debut for the Eagles in the Queen City, finishing 52nd with a time of 19:01.
"The women had a great race at a fast course," says Spooner. "It was great to see them race and learn how to race at large scale meets with higher competition. This sets them up well for the postseason."
Four men's runners ran their first-ever collegiate 8K race in Charlotte last weekend. Raymond Brugmans lead the men's team with a time of 25:54 and a 56th place finish. Benjamin White broke his personal best in the 8K in his first race of the season with a time of 36:07.
"The big positive is that we got to run an 8K," says Spooner. "Of the seven runners we had, four had never run an 8K. The growth going forward is going to come from being familiar with the distance and help us progress forward. We're going to take a few lumps but the men will fire back and this weekend is a great way to get our focus back."
The men will race first at the Asics Invitational with the 8K race starting at 7:50 am. The women will compete in the 5K at roughly 8:50 am. A live results link is available at cneagles.com, and live updates can be found on twitter at the new home for Carson-Newman athletics at cn_eagles.
