Oct. 5, 2005
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn men and women's cross country teams return home at the midway point of the regular season schedule to host the 13th annual Auburn Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 8. Auburn will welcome 28 teams to the event, which will be held at Indian Pines Golf Course. Competition will begin with the men's 8K at 9:30 a.m. CT, followed by the women's 5K at 10:30 a.m.
Home Cookin'
Auburn has had more than its fare share of success at the Auburn Invitational. In the last three seasons, the men and women's teams have finished no worse than fourth in the event. Last year, both the men and women placed second. The last time Auburn won the event was the in 2003 when the men won the team title. The last Auburn athlete to win the event was senior Angela Homan, who won last year in a time of 17:26.67.
The Field
The event will feature a field of 28 teams, including conference foes Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Vanderbilt (men). The only team ranked in the most recent polls is the Alabama women's team, which is receiving votes in the FinishLynx poll released on Oct. 3. The field is almost half the size of the Paul Short Inv., which had over 40 squads competing. The meet will be a good measuring stick for the Tigers in the SEC. Auburn has only faced one other SEC team this year - Tennessee's women's team at the Paul Short Invitational.
The Lineup
Auburn will use a lineup of nine men and seven women at the Auburn Inv. The men's lineup is comprised of three seniors, two juniors and four sophomores. Sophomores Marshall Remmele and Zach Olsen are competing for the first time. The women's lineup consists of two seniors, one junior and four sophomores.
Last Time Out
Auburn traveled to Bethlehem, Pa., for the Paul Short Invitational on Oct. 1. The trip to Pennsylvania is one of only two regular season meets outside the Southeast.
Men
The men placed fourth with 219 points, falling only to Princeton, LaSalle and Georgetown. Georgetown won the event for the third consecutive season. The Tigers' fourth-place finish was their seventh straight finish in the top four, dating back to the start of last season. On the men's side, there were 44 teams competing. The Tigers were paced by senior Andrew Heath, who earned the 11th top-10 finish of his career. Heath placed 10th in a time of 24:10.1. The second Tiger to finish was sophomore Chris Walsh, who placed 19th in a time of 24:23.6. Saint Francis' (Pa) Ryan Sheehan won the individual crown, with a time of 23:52.6.
Women
The women had a disappointing showing at the Paul Short Invitational, finishing 28th out of 47 teams with 712 points. The finish was the Tigers' lowest in three years. Senior Angela Homan led the way for the Tigers, placing seventh in the 6K in a time of 20:43.6. Sophomore Megan Karl was the second Tiger to cross the line, as she placed 62nd in a time of 21:55.6. Georgetown's Elizabeth Maloy won the individual title, crossing the line in a time of 20:28.0.
Making His Mark
Andrew Heath has begun his senior campaign on a torrid pace. In two meets this, Heath has garnered two top-10 finishes and set a personal record. He opened the season at the Florida State Inv., where he placed second. The Marietta, Ga., native followed up his second-place finish by setting a new personal record in the 8K at the Paul Short Inv. Heath finished in a time of 24:10.1, while placing 10th. His previous record was 24:20.00 at the 2004 Paul Short Invitational.
Poll Watching
The men's team remained fifth in the most recent South Region poll released on Oct. 4 by the United States Cross Country Coaches of America (USCCCA). The women's team is not currently ranked.
2004 Auburn Invitational At a Glance
The Tigers hosted 20 women's teams and 21 men's teams at the 2004 Auburn Invitational. On the women's side, Samford won the event, 28 points ahead of the Tigers. Portland won on the men's side, with 36 points. Auburn placed second with 74 points. Homan won the women's 5K, while Jacksonville State's Josphat Waweru won the men's 8K.
Athlete of the Week
Following her season-opening victory, Angela Homan was selected as the SEC Female Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Sept. 20. It was the fourth time in Homan's career that she has received the honors, but the first time since winning the Auburn Invitational on Oct. 11, 2004.
New Era
Peter Watson begins his first season as the coach of the cross country program. Watson takes over for former coach Chris Fox, who was hired as the head track and field coach at Syracuse after three seasons at Auburn. Watson is a 2001 graduate of West Virginia, where he was a four-year letterman on both the track and cross country teams. A native of London, Ontario, Canada, Watson participated in the 2000 and 2001 Canadian National Track and Field Championships. Prior to coming to Auburn, Watson ran professionally, while training in Boulder, Colorado, and Kenya, Africa.
SEC Championships on the Move
Due to the on-going relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina, the SEC decided that it would be in the best interest of everyone if the SEC Cross Country Championships were moved from Baton Rouge, La., to another location. The championships will still be held on Oct. 29, but will take place at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C. The event will be hosted by South Carolina.
Homan's a Hit
Angela Homan padded her already impressive resume with a victory to open the season at the Florida State Inv. Homan's win was the ninth of her career and at the time was her fifth regular season win in a row. In all, Homan has won six of her last eight events and eight of her last 12. In 2004, Homan won every race leading up to the NCAA Championships, where she placed ninth. Homan entered the 2005 season as the back-to-back SEC Champion and two-time All-American. Homan has also been selected as the SEC Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year for two consecutive seasons. This season, Homan is bidding to become the first three-time SEC Champion.
Looking Ahead
The Tigers had a late addition to their schedule, and will now travel to Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday, Oct. 15 for the Brooks Pre-Nationals Invitational.
Results
The final results of the Auburn Invitational will be posted immediately at the conclusion of the meet on Auburn's website www.auburntigers.com. The results will also be available on the official website of CFPI Timing: www.cfpitiming.com. Results will also be emailed to all participating SIDs and any media that requests.