AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn cross country team will travel to South Bend, Indiana to compete in the 64thannual Joe Piane Invitational on Friday, October 4. The meet will be held at Burke Golf Course at the University of Notre Dame. The women will compete in the Blue Race, a 5k race that will start at 12 p.m. CT, while the men will compete in the Gold Race, five mile race that will start at 3 p.m.
The field features competitive teams from all around the country. There will be teams from the SEC, PAC-12, ACC, alongside other teams from mid-major schools.
"We're very excited—it's going to be a great opportunity to race against a very competitive field," Auburn cross country coach David Barnett said. "This is by far the biggest competition we'll do as a team."
The 5k will be a solid distance for the women bridging the gap to the SEC Championships goes. The men will be racing the full five miles instead of the 8k which will be a good opportunity to see where the men's side is at headed into the SEC Championships.
"I definitely am looking forward to it because I know the work has been put in," Barnett said. "This is kind of the first time we get to actually show what this team is capable of. Again, I don't think it's going to be the finished product. We're definitely headed in the right direction though, so I am excited."
The venue the team will be competing at is on a golf course with great footing and is very similar to venues the team has competed on in the past. The Tigers will have a chance to run the course prior to the competition to prepare themselves for the race on Friday.
Joyce Kimelli will be making her debut this weekend after earning All-SEC and All-Region honors as a redshirt freshman last year while qualifying for the 2018 NCAA Cross Country meet last season.
"Joyce [Kimelli] is a returning All-American on the track," Barnett said. "She was a national qualifier in cross country. Joyce is looking good—she is 100 percent and she's ready to race."
The Tigers will have over three works to prepare and train before they head to the SEC Championships that will be held on Friday, November 1, in Lexington, Kent.