Sept. 29, 2011

Rhodes College Invitational Information

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Tiger Cross Country will be back in action this Saturday, Oct. 1, at the 21st-annual Rhodes College Invitational. The meet will be held at Shelby Farms (Gate 8) with the women's 6k race now slated to begin at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 8k at 10:40 a.m.

Last year, the U of M's James Maglasang was the men's champion with a 25:40 mark, taking home the first individual Tiger victory since Mate Nemeth accomplished the feat at the SEMO Invitational in 2004. In addition to Maglasang, freshman Dan Kuhman has set the pace for Memphis so far in 2011 with top-10 finishes in the Tigers' first two meets this season.

"It will be very challenging, but both the women's team and the men's team have a chance to win," cross country coach Doug Clark said.

Host Rhodes College won both the men's and women's race in 2010, while the Memphis men took home fifth place. This year, the field will be made up of 14 teams, including two programs, Rhodes and Delta State, the Tigers topped in their last outing at the Commodore Classic on Sept. 17.

"Rhodes graduated many of their top athletes after last year but I expect them to be tough at their home meet," Clark said. "Texas-Tyler finished second last year and they're led by Jeff Chandler, who battled Maglasang to the finish for the individual title."

Meanwhile, the Tiger women return to the Rhodes Invite after attaining a season-best second-place finish in 2010. The Blue and Gray pack also topped the defending champion Lynx at the Commodore Classic, headed by Louisa Lingley's18:55 time and 28th-place finish.

"We beat Rhodes pretty soundly at Vanderbilt, but they held out their No. 1 runner Taylor Stephens, the 2010 Rhodes Invitational champion," Clark said. "It's the standard mantra of cross country coaches, but in both races it will probably come down to whose team packs the best and gets their fifth runner across the finish line first."

Rhodes College Invitational
Rhodes
Huntingdon
UT-Tyler
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Cornell College
Arkansas Tech
Memphis
Hendrix
Delta State
Webster
Central Arkansas
Blue Mountain
Shepherd Tech
Arkansas-Monticello