Sept. 29, 2011
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Standing a mere one month away from the SEC Championships, Auburn cross country treks to Notre Dame on Friday for its toughest task thus far in the 2011 season.
Both Auburn squads will participate in the 2011 Notre Dame Invitational, a meet that will feature a 5k race for the women and an 8k for the men - both repeats of last week at Florida State.
"As we know, the last two weeks have gone fairly well for both teams and the competition has increased each week," Auburn head cross country coach Mark Carroll said. "This is the biggest race that we've had by far."
The Notre Dame Invite features one of the largest competition fields that the Auburn runners will encounter this season. Both the men's and women's fields are divided into two divisions - gold and blue.
The Auburn squads will compete in the respective blue divisions. The women's blue includes 28 total teams and four programs ranked in the USTFCCCA Top 25. It will run at 3:15 pm CT. The men's blue field is scheduled to run at 4 pm CT and features eight ranked teams within the 26 scheduled to be on the course.
"All in all, we are coming up against some top 25 teams on both sides and it's a step up in competition," Carroll said. "We've had a pretty smooth start and I think the guys and girls are ready for this next challenge."
One factor that could play into Auburn's success on Friday is the cooler temperatures. The Tigers routinely compete in a high-humidity environment with warm temperatures, but the high on Friday in South Bend is expected to be in the 50s.
"We are used to running in warmer, more humid conditions," Carroll said. "I think it's going to feel cooler, maybe like a breath of fresh air for us. That should help us. We may have to warm up a little bit longer to make sure we are ready to get off the line. With this level of competition, we need to be warmed up and ready to go. There are no second chances. You've got to be in the race from the get-go."
The schedule is winding to a close with just two regular season meets remaining before postseason competition and Carroll is pleased with the way his team is shaping up.
"With the way the season lined up, each meet has gotten better competition-wise and our confidence has grown, especially on the men's side, from doing well and winning," Carroll said. "This weekend is going to be a very, very big test and it's going to show where we match-up relative to national-level competition."
Following the completion of both races, results will be posted on AuburnTigers.com.