Clemson, S.C. –The Clemson cross country teams are set to begin postseason competition at the ACC Cross Country Championships on Friday, Nov. 1 in Blacksburg, Va. The men will race first, covering the 8k distance starting at 10:00 a.m. The women’s team will begin its race over the 6k distance at 11:00 a.m. This will be the third time this year each squad competes at the respective distances.
Where: Burford Meredith Cross Country Course
Start Times: Men – 10:00 a.m. || Women – 11:00 a.m.
Watch live on ACCNX: Men’s Race|| Women’s Race
Live results will be available here.
The Tigers will be returning to familiar territory when they take to the starting line, as the team competed at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational earlier this season. At that meet, four personal bests were logged, and five athletes made their season debut. Last time out, the team competed at the High Point VertCross Invitational, where five athletes competing at Friday’s Championships earned personal bests.
Logan Morris, one of the country’s top distance runners, will look to challenge for the individual title in the women’s 6k. Morris has led the way for the Tigers’ women in the opening three competitions this season, with her most notable performance coming at the Joe Piane – Notre Dame Invitational where she earned her first collegiate cross country victory.
John Ward has established himself as one of the team’s strongest leaders on the men’s side. Ward, a junior for the Tigers, is joined at the front of the pack by classmate Colt Griffith. The duo of Ward and Griffith have led the team the past three races.
The packs behind Morris, Ward and Griffith are exceptionally strong for both sides. For the women, a consistent change in the team’s top-five speaks to the depth and continued strength they have acquired throughout the year. Amelia Jones, a senior for the women’s team, will look to notch her fifth personal best of the season, after earning a personal best each time she has taken to the course this year. On the men’s side, a young core will follow the lead of Ward and Griffith as the team looks to continue the trend of shortening the gap between its scoring five. The men’s team performed one of its best races of the season from a tactical standpoint at the VertCross Invitational, according to Head Coach Vicky Pounds as she reflected on the team’s latest performance.
Men’s 8k Course|| Women’s 6k Course
The Blacksburg area has experienced heavy rain the past two days, causing the course to be soft and muddy for tomorrow’s races. The course is wide enough to allow four athletes to run side-by-side, while long, straight stretches of the course will help the runners establish the flow of the race early on. While the course runs fairly straight, it features consistent rolling terrain and uneven footing. Look for both races to go out conservative during the first lap around the course as the athletes familiarize themselves with the course.
