Sept. 17, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. -- After finishing in first and second at the Troy Invitational two weeks ago, the Auburn men's and women's cross country team head to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the Crimson Classic Saturday. The Tigers are set to begin at 8:45 a.m. with the men's team running an 8K followed by the women in 5K at 9:15 a.m.
"This is a big meet for it to only be mid-September," head coach Mark Carroll said. "We'll have our full squads back with Holly (Knight), Ben (Cheruiyot) and Colin Barker racing this weekend."
This will be the first test of the season for the Tigers as they begin preparation for the conference championship in early November.
"This will be a good test for us," Carroll said. "Everyone has trained great and I'm excited and looking forward to the race."
The meet features its largest field ever with 19 teams in the women's race and 18 in the men's race.
"It's a big meet," Carroll added. "We'll face this meet size at NCAA Regionals. This will be a good test to make sure we can commit to getting out strong on the first mile, and making sure we don't get stuck in the pack."
Notable SEC competition will come from Alabama and Ole Miss.
"Alabama's men finished in the top three last year, so it will be a good test for us, and I think we are going to surprise a few people this weekend," Carroll said.
They will also face off against Texas A&M, Tulane, Kennesaw State, Nicholls State and Samford, which are all ranked in the top 15 in their respective regions.
"This weekend will be great test for us and I think we are ready for it," Carroll said.