University of Richmond Athletics
Cross Country Gears Up For Paul Short Invitational
09/29/2010 | Cross Country
Sept. 29, 2010
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - The Richmond men's and women's cross country teams head to Bethlehem, Pa. this week for the Paul Short Invitational on Friday, Oct. 1. Both Spider teams are competing in the top-seeded gold race set to begin at 11 a.m. on the campus of Lehigh University.
"We are looking forward to the race," said men's head coach Steve Taylor. "It will be the first time this season many of our athletes have competed. It's been a calculated decision with their input. Our athletes worked hard this summer and especially the past six weeks. Now it's time for them to have the opportunity to race. There are several things we will work on in this meet. Execution of what we have practiced will be the key to our teams success."
This will be Richmond's third-straight appearance at the Paul Short Invitational. Last year the women came in 10th-place, led by Jenn Ennis who finished 32nd overall (21:16). Tim Quinn placed 29th in the men's race (24:20), helping the team to an 18th-place finish.
"This is always a great meet and certainly one of the top 3 collegiate meets in the nation this weekend," said women's head coach Lori Taylor. "Several of the top nationally ranked teams are entered and the starting line will be packed with nearly 400 runners, so our team will have to be ready for a fast start."
The meet will be held on Lehigh University's Murray H. Goodman Campus, location of the 1979, 1983, and 1993 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Over 120 colleges and universities are participating this year with at least 350 runners in both the men's and women's races.
Going into this weekend, the Richmond women are ranked sixth in the Southeast Region and both Richmond teams are leading the Atlantic 10 coaches' polls. A-10 teams participating in the event include Duquesne University, George Washington University, La Salle University, University of Massachusetts, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, and Temple University. For the official Atlantic 10 Cross Country Weekly Release, click the link
The men's gold 8K race begins at 11 a.m. on Friday, and the women's gold 6K starts at 11:45 a.m.
Stay tuned to RichmondSpiders.com for a complete report of Friday's meet.
For more in-depth coverage on the race, visit Coach Taylor's blog, or follow him on Twitter.
