Jags Ready To Host First Meet Of Year
GRU Augusta prepares for the Jaguar Invitational set for this Friday, Sept. 20
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The GRU Augusta Cross Country programs will host their first meet of the 2013 season, the Jaguar Invitational, this Friday, Sept. 20 at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Ga., for a men’s 8K at 5:30 p.m. and a women’s 6K at 6:15 p.m.
Fans and spectators are encouraged to arrive early because part of the entrance will be closed off after runners have arrived. For the runner’s safety, the section of the course that crosses the road near the soccer fields will be blocked off - preventing spectators from parking for several minutes.
The men’s 8K race begins at 5:30 p.m. and the women’s 6K is expected to follow at 6:15 p.m. Two Peach Belt Conference schools, USC Aiken and Young Harris, will race alongside GRU in the seven-team field that includes – Brenau (women only), Clark-Atlanta, Darton State College, GRU Augusta, Paine College, USCA (women only), and YH.
“We look forward to hosting the Jaguar Cross Country Invitational for the sixth consecutive year,” Head Coach Adam Ward said. “It is always great when our student-athletes have a chance to run in front of local fans and showcase their talents. It should be a good meet and we look forward to solid competition as usual."
At last year’s Jaguar Invitational, Georgia State claimed the men’s and women’s titles despite the Jaguar men placing four runners in the top 10. GRU’s Jaiden Brandt paced the men’s team with a second-place finish in 25:39.71 and Jessica Carpenter, the only returning Jags women’s runner who competed at last year’s home meet, led the women to finish seventh overall in 25:13.02.
View the 2013 Jaguar Invitational homepage: http://www.ptgrouponline.com/Live/2013/XC/GRU/
Both Jaguar Cross Country teams head to McAlpine Creek Park in Charlotte, N.C., for the UNC Charlotte Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 28 for 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. starts. McAlpine Creek Park was the host site for last year’s NCAA Southeast Regional and this year serves as the host again for the Regional and also the Jags’ next meet on Friday, Oct. 11 for the Royals Creek Cross Country Challenge.
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All the best,
Taylor Lamb
Assistant Director for Athletic Media Relations
Georgia Regents University (formerly Augusta State)