Cross Country to Host Clemson Invitational at Musser Farms on Friday

Sept. 15, 2010

CLEMSON, SC – The Tiger cross country program will play host to several schools Friday at the Clemson Invitational, the school’s first home meet since the 2006 fall season. The event will take place at Musser Farms, the new home to Clemson cross country. The action gets underway with the women’s 5000m race at 6:15 PM, followed by the men’s 8000m competition at 6:45.

Clemson will welcome teams from Anderson University, Charlotte, Converse, Davidson, Fort Valley State, Georgia Southern, UNC Asheville, Paine College and USC Upstate. Clemson’s new course is located on a 240-acre fruit research center, which is operated by the university. Click on the PDF links below to see the 5K and 8K course maps. The physical address of the facility is: 604 South Friendship Road, Seneca, SC 29678.

5K Course Map | 8K Course Map

For the first time in the young season, Clemson will showcase full squads in both the men’s and women’s races. Two weeks ago, the Tiger men and women both won the Gamecock Invitational, despite competing without several of the teams’ top performers.

Several returning veterans will make their season debuts for the women’s team on Friday. Kim Ruck, the team leader and a returning All-ACC and all-region performer, begins her third season with the cross country program. She was an indoor track All-American in the 5K last season, as well as an ACC Champion.

Jenna Baker, Stephanie Buffo and Alyssa Kulik will also make their respective season debuts this weekend. Baker was a 2008 All-ACC and all-region runner before injury and academic workload forced her to miss the entire 2009 cross country campaign. Buffo and Kulik showed great improvement from the fall of 2009 into the spring track season, where both qualified for the 2010 NCAA East Preliminary Round in the 3000m steeplechase.

Elyse Borisko, a red-shirt freshman, and Sarah Turman, a sophomore, were the top scorers for the women’s squad at the Gamecock Invitational. Borisko was the 5K runner-up with a time of 18:06.42, while Turman placed fourth at 18:12.04. Other scorers from the opening weekend on the women’s team were freshmen Natalie Anthony, Alyssa Henshaw and Alexa Neiling.

The men’s team began its quest for improvement with a solid showing in Columbia, winning the Gamecock Invitational handily over a small number of teams. The top storyline coming out of the meet was the performance of freshman Ty McCormack, a former USA Junior Olympic champion. He won the 5K with a time of 15:08.13, easily taking home the individual title.

McCormack was joined in the scoring column by another freshman, Nathan Hendershot of Indiana. Hendershot, a multi-sport standout in high school, was fourth with a time of 15:54.14. Chad Holt (7th), Chris Slate (8th) and Blake Kennedy (10th) were the final three scorers from the season-opening meet two weeks ago.

Driving Directions to Musser Farms (from Clemson campus) • Take Perimeter Rd. half a mile to Cherry Rd. at Walker Golf Course and take a right • Go approximately one mile and take a right onto Old Cherry Rd. • Go approximately two miles across Lake Hartwell until the end of the road • Take a left onto JP Stevens Rd. (at Exxon Station), then the second right onto Martin Creek Rd. • Go approximately three miles and take a left onto Coneross Creek Rd. • Take the next left onto South Friendship Rd. • Go approximately two miles you will arrive at Musser Farms cross country course on your left

Driving Directions to Musser Farms (from I-85 in Anderson) • Take Highway 28/76 (exit 19A off Interstate 85) approximately nine miles west toward Clemson and turn left onto Old Stone Church Rd. at a traffic light by a cemetery • Take Old Stone Church Rd. approximately one mile and turn left onto Old Cherry Rd. before you reach Walker Golf Course • Go approximately two miles across Lake Hartwell until the end of the road • Take a left onto JP Stevens Rd. (at Exxon Station), then the second right onto Martin Creek Rd. • Go approximately three miles and take a left onto Coneross Creek Rd. • Take the next left onto South Friendship Rd. • Go approximately two miles you will arrive at Musser Farms cross country course on your left