Kentucky Heads West to “Live in the Lou” Cross Country Classic
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – Two weeks after sweeping the opening meet of the season, the Kentucky men’s and women’s cross country teams head west on I-64 for the “Live in the Lou” Cross Country Classic on Saturday in Louisville.
Held at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park, the men’s team will run an 8,000-meter race beginning at 9 a.m. EDT. In addition to Kentucky and host Louisville, the eight-team field also includes Appalachian State, Charlotte, Marshall, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and Tennessee. The women 5K race begins at 9:45 a.m. and features the eight teams listed, plus West Virginia.
UK assistant track and field coach Hakon DeVries, who works extensively with the cross country and distance runners, saw both of his teams win the season-opening Commodore Classic on Sept. 19. The Wildcats are eager to resume action in the only meet of the season held within the borders of the Commonwealth.
“A lot of our kids are Kentucky kids, and have raced before at Tom Sawyer Park, so the ability to run on that course means a lot to them,” DeVries said. “It’s a fast course, a good opportunity for a personal best every time you run there.
“Consistency in training is the key to what we’ve been getting from the teams the last two weeks (since the double win in Nashville). We can build on that as we work toward the SEC Meet.”
Saturday’s race results will be posted at https://loucrosscountryclassic.com/results-archive.
Following Live in the Lou, the next meet for UK will come Oct. 16 at the UAB Classic. The schedule concludes with the Southeastern Conference Championships Oct. 30 at LSU.
Men’s Team Outlook
The UK men’s lineup in Louisville will include Dylan Allen, Matt Duvall, Ethan Kern, Ryan Maynard, Jonah Mitchell, Harper Moore, Patrick Schaefer, Trevor Warren and Aaron Withrow. Duvall (first place), Allen (second), Kern (fourth), Schaeffer (ninth) and Mitchell (10th) all finished in the top 10 at the Commodore Classic. Running his first collegiate race, Duvall charted an 8K time of 24:34.5 and was rewarded for his victory by receiving SEC Men’s Co-Runner of the Week honors.
Women’s Team Outlook
Thirteen Wildcats will toe the line in the women’s race, including Rachel Boice, Sophie Carrier, Jenna Gearing, Anna Guerra, Tori Herman, Kaylie Kenne, Kaitlyn Lacy, Natalie Molotky, Madisyn Peeples, Jenna Schwinghamer, Kelli Walsh, Sarah Wilkinson and Athena Young. Gearing (fifth place), Young (sixth), Herman (eighth), Lacy (ninth) and Kenne (10th) led the Cats at the Commodore Classic. Young marked at 21:34 for the 6k race and was named SEC Women’s Freshman Runner of the Week.
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