Invitational Season In Full Swing

Notre Dame, Oregon and Minnesota hosting huge fields

Sept. 25, 2007

By Brett Hess

Special to CSTV.com

	Brett Hess Brett Hess covers Cross Country for CSTV.com E-mail here!

        ---   Column Archive   --- TRACK/CROSS COUNTRY 11/19: Kipyego, Stanford Win As Expected 11/19: Blow For Blow To The Finish 11/16: Practically A Sure Thing 11/16: Championship Field Is A History Lesson In Motion 11/6: Irish Hope Shay Is An Inspiration 10/30: Louisville's Emergence Continues 10/23: No Margin For Error 10/16: Kuijken, FSU Race Toward Postseason 10/09: Liberty's McDougal Begins Run For Title 10/02: Rice Women Surprise At Notre Dame 9/25: Invitational Season In Full Swing 9/19: Still Pinching Herself 9/11: Kipyego, Barringer Are Favorites 9/4: Lomong and Rupp Lead Returnees 6/8: Texas Tech's Kipyego Closes In On History 6/7: Arizona's Arnold Sets Record in Decathlon 6/5: FSU Isn't Feeling The Pressure 6/5: Throwers Lead Sun Devils to Sacramento 5/29: Stars Shine at NCAA Regional Meets 5/26: Florida State Primed For East Regional Title 5/26: Top-Ranked LSU Women Trailing At Mideast Regional 5/22: Hastings Does It Her Way 5/15: Wisconsin, Omole Make History at Big Ten Meet 5/8: Notre Dame's Huddle Finishing Strong 5/1: Drake or Penn? Why Not Both? 4/24: Hokies Show Courage In Competing 4/17: Senioritis is Good for Diana Pickler 4/10: Little Longhorn With Big Heart 3/26: Patience Pays Off For Duke's Rowbury 3/20: Just Like The Movies 3/11: Solinsky Leads Wisconsin To First-Ever Track Title 3/11: Front-Running Sun Devils 3/11: Saluki Strong 3/9: The Dual Is On 3/9: Stevens Helps Pace Sun Devils To Early Lead 3/6: Outdoor Champ FSU Favored Indoors 3/5: Sun Devils Look to Take Next Step 2/20: As Belt Leaps Higher, So Does L'ville 2/6: Huskies Running Out In Front 11/19: Stanford's Aiming For Repeat 11/19: Wisconsin Favored To Defend Title

Whether you are a college cross country fan in the east, west or in between, there are great opportunities this weekend to see deep fields in major invitationals.

It's still early in the season and championships are well over a month away, but regular season meets like these will provide a lot of insight into which teams are legitimate championship contenders.

Even if top-ranked Wisconsin (men) and Stanford (women) prove their worth, there is certain to be a few programs currently running under the radar that will emerge.

NOTRE DAME

Action gets underway Friday in South Bend, Ind. where the 52nd annual Notre Dame Invitational will take place. There will be six ranked men's teams and nine ranked women's teams, including the No. 2 Michigan women.

The meet was started in 1956 by famed Irish coach Alex Wilson and is one of the oldest and largest collegiate meets. There will be 54 schools represented with teams broken into two men's and two women's races.

On the men's side will be defending champion and No. 9-ranked North Carolina State, No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 14 Providence.

Along with defending champ Michigan on the women's side will be No. 11 Providence, No. 12 Florida State, No. 16 North Carolina State and No. 27 Notre Dame.

ROY GRIAK

Saturday, St. Paul, Minn. hosts the 22nd running of the Roy Griak and here the women's race will draw the headlines.

There are four top-10 ranked teams in the women's race - No. 6 Arizona State, host No. 8 Minnesota, No. 9 Michigan State and No. 10 Virginia.

In the men's race there will be five ranked teams, headlined by No. 18 Minnesota and No. 19 Northern Arizona.

BILL DELLINGER

Up in the great northwest is another meet named after another famous coach.

Oregon is hosting the second annual Bill Dellinger Invite and it has quickly raced to the front of impressive and deep fields. There will be 30 teams on display in the men's race, which will have a national championship flavor.

No. 1-ranked Wisconsin will try to upstage No. 3-ranked and defending champion Oregon. Also, No. 7 UTEP, No. 11 Portland and five more ranked teams will bring depth to the field.

In the women's race 15 teams will compete, including No. 4 Arkansas, No. 15 Georgia, No. 17 Washington, No. 18 BYU and No. 21 Colorado State.

PAUL SHORT

A race with a more eastern flavor is in Bethlehem, Penn. where Lehigh is hosting the Paul Short Run.

In the men's race, No. 4 Iona will battle No. 26 Syracuse and No. 27 Princeton.

In the women's race, No. 5 Wisconsin will race No. 13 Princeton and No. 23 Texas Tech.

ALSO

Stanford (No. 1 in the women's polls and No. 6 in the men's) will be hosting it's own invite as will Colorado, which is No. 2 in the men's poll and No. 3 in the women's.