University of North Florida
Sodexho Stetson Hatter Invite
Ospreys Ready for Stetson Hatter Invite
10/15/2009 2:14:41 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
"We have several goals for this week,” said head coach Mark Van Alstyne. “Of course, our first goal is always to win. The competition is going to be stiff with 24 teams on the women's side and 19 for the men; however, I feel good about our chances at this point in the season.”
Some of the
Leading the way for the Ospreys will be sophomore Johnathan Esteban who has been on top for the men in their last three meets, and for the women freshman stand out Shelby Kittrell has led the women in their past three meets, along with sophomore Erin Heasely finishing 15th out of the 69 runners in last weekend's race at the FSU Invitational.
“Our second goal is to develop a feel for how this course will race in two weeks at the A-Sun Championships,” said VanAlstyne. “It's not enough just to see the course or to jog over it. We have to know exactly how the course will influence the races and then we'll develop a plan to capitalize on. And finally, both teams are going to continue to work on running as a team, not a collection of individuals. We are going to work hard to keep our packs together most of the race and force the other teams to react to us. We want to be on the offensive."
Sperling Sports Complex for both the men's and women's distances are loop configurations over grass and dirt around the perimeter of the Sports Complex. The majority of the course is non-paved.
The public is welcome to come out and see some top athletes in competition. There are several locations around the course to get a good view of the runners in action.
