Aggies among nationally ranked field at Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Indiana - Texas A&M cross country will have 20 athletes competing in its first meet outside the state of Texas this season when they face nationally-ranked fields at the 57^th annual Notre Dame Invitational on the Burke Memorial Golf Course this Friday, Sept. 28.

The Aggie men, who moved back up to a program best No. 14 ranking this week, are one of 10 nationally-ranked teams scheduled for the Notre Dame meet while the A&M women are in a field that includes five nationally ranked squads. The women's race, covering 5,000-meters, starts at 3:15 p.m. (CT) while the men's five-mile race begins at 4 p.m. (CT).

"This meet will be a good test to see where we stack up this time of the year," said Texas A&M assistant coach Wendel McRaven. "Our focus is always on the championship month of November, but a high quality meet like this serves to show us where are in the process. Last year, this meet revealed that our men's team was better than we realized. We will have a better idea of where our strengths are and what we need to work on after this weekend."

Nationally ranked men's teams in the field include No. 10 Florida State, No. 11 North Carolina State, No. 17 Princeton, No. 20 Tulsa, No. 21 New Mexico, No. 24 Notre Dame, No. 25 Eastern Kentucky, No. 28 Columbia, and No. 29 Washington State.

Women's nationally ranked schools competing include No. 2 Florida State, No. 19 New Mexico, No. 20 Notre Dame, No. 21 Butler, and No. 25 North Carolina State.

Texas A&M will also face a pair of SEC schools as Alabama and Mississippi State join the Aggies in South Bend. Mississippi State women are ranked No. 5 while the men are No. 7 in the South region. Alabama women rank No. 8 in the South region. In the South Central region A&M men are No. 2 with the women No. 3.

Last season at Notre Dame an unranked A&M men's crew placed seventh in team scoring among a field of 26 schools and bettered four nationally-ranked teams. Henry Lelei led the Aggie effort with an eighth-place finish. A young A&M women's group finished 20^th in team scoring after a slow start left them in the back half of a large field of runners.

In addition to the nationally ranked squads, the 2012 version of the Notre Dame Invitational will also include Illinois, Liberty, North Carolina, Ohio State, and Washington State. Other men's teams in the field include Butler, Eastern Michigan, Indiana State, McNeese State, and Navy. Women's teams also include Northwestern, Princeton, and SMU.

"The Notre Dame Invitational is truly a classic," noted McRaven. "The meet always attracts a nationally elite field. This is the 57^th edition of this meet and so many teams and individuals have raced there over the years it's incredible. I raced the meet in college and we always look forward to our trip to Notre Dame. It's the kick-off to the real racing season in collegiate cross country."

Lelei will lead a men's squad of 12 Aggies into the meet, which includes Stephen Curry, Micah Dettmer, Jake Hervey, James Hodges, MacLean O'Donnell, Jake Roberts, Colin Slattery, Isaac Spencer, Dylan Williams and Bobby Zeller.

Sophie Blake, who has led the Aggie women in their first two meets, headlines a crew of eight runners. A year ago Blake competed in the junior varsity race at Notre Dame. The A&M squad includes Shawn Dalglish, Grace Fletcher, Amanda Jenkins, Hillary Montgomery, Gabby Salazar, Heather Sterling and Tara Upshaw.

USTFCCCA NATIONAL COACHES POLL

September 25, 2012

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