Ospreys Set for Challenge at FSU Invitational/Pre-Nationals

Friday, October 15

Tallahassee, Fla.

8 am

University of North Florida

FSU XC Invite/Pre Nationals

10/14/2021 12:00:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Live Timing

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida cross country will compete against the top teams from across the nation when they head over to Tallahassee for the second time this season to race in the FSU Invitational/Pre-Nationals meet on Friday, Oct. 15 at 8 am.

LAST TIME OUT

The last outing for the men's team was a successful one, as they went up to Columbia, Mo., for the Gans Creek Classic and came home with the first-place finish. Senior Nathan Jubran placed third individually while breaking a program record for the fastest 8k XC time at North Florida. Sophomore Jake Turner and senior Noah Perkins also recorded top-10 8k times in program history placing 11th and 13th respectively in the race.

The women's team had a fantastic meet at the Gans Creek Classic as well, with sophomore Mia McLain leading the Ospreys with a personal-best time to a top-10 finish. Senior Camryn Cooney ran her first meet in Missouri and placed just outside the top 50 individuals. Senior Sadie McLaughlin and sophomore Billie Castillo also put together great races with both of them finishing right behind Cooney with personal-best times.

MAKING STRIDES

The men will bring back everyone that raced in the Gans Creek Classic for the FSU Invitational/Pre-Nationals meet this Friday. Jubran will be coming off his fifth ASUN Runner of the Week award for his performance at the Gans Creek Classic, while Turner will look to break into the top-10 fastest 8k times for the third time in five career meets. Perkins, as well as senior Timothy Doyle, will use their experience to help the Ospreys put their best foot forward against the top teams in the nation.

The women's lineup will return most of their runners to compete this Friday. They've had two different women finish as the top runner for the Ospreys, as senior Raquel Lespasio finished first for the team at the FSU XC Open and McLain finished first in Missouri. Eight women recorded personal-best times from their last meet and they will look to build off of that performance in Tallahassee.

NOTABLE OPPONENTS

Both cross country units will have to face many of the NCAA's best teams at the FSU Invitational/Pre-Nationals meet. The men's garnet race will have nine teams from the South region poll, including all four teams that are ranked ahead of the Ospreys. They will also compete against 18 Power 5 teams and two ASUN opponents, Central Arkansas and Liberty, in Friday's meet. There will be 12 teams from the men's national poll as well, including five of the top eight teams and the reigning national champions.

On the women's side, they will be competing in the open race against five Power 5 teams among other mid-major schools. They will also measure up against two ASUN opponents, Jacksonville and FGCU, before they meet again in the ASUN Championship race at the end of the month. This meet will include top-ranked South region team, Alabama, as well as unattached individuals from Florida State and Colorado.

EVENT SCHEDULE

The Ospreys will start their day off competing in the men's 8k garnet race at the FSU Invitational/Pre-Nationals meet that will take place at 8 am. Freshman Kameron Wallizada will then participate as an unattached runner in the 8k open race at 9:10 am. The women's team will finish the day off with their 6k open race at 9:45 am.

The men's team will have 13 combined participants over both races and the women's team will bring out 11 participants for their race on Friday.

UP NEXT

After Friday's meet in Tallahassee, the Ospreys will prepare for the ASUN Conference Championship meet that will take place on Saturday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 am. The men's team will look to bring home their fourth conference title in seven years, while the women's team have eyes on bringing home their first championship since 2017.

PIGG'S POINTS

"We will have the opportunity to compete in the strongest meet to run in the NCAA this year with the exception of the Championship finals. This will give both teams the opportunity to see how we stack up against many of the top programs in the country.

The men's field is so stacked we could finish in the top 15 teams and be one of the top 25 programs in the country. With our experienced guys like Nathan Jubran, Noah Perkins, Timothy Doyle and Jared Vazquez, along with younger guys like Jake Turner, Aidan O'Gorman and Robert Pedroza running well, it is time for us to step up as a program and get the job done. We have worked hard and I believe we are ready for the challenge.

The women's team is getting better each week and it will be nice to see how we compete. We are close to 100% healthy and this is a great opportunity. Camryn Cooney, Mia McLain, Sadie McLaughlin, Billie Castillo and Raquel Lespasio have really been running well and I think we will see another big jump in our progression."