TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After two weeks of preparation, the LSU cross country teams are back on the road and ready to compete Friday in the annual Crimson Classic held at Harry Pritchett RC in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The women will begin at 5 p.m. CDT and the men will start shortly behind at 5:30 p.m. Competing in the men’s 8k race will be 31 teams, while the women will race against 32 teams in the 5k race. The Crimson Classic will be LSU’s final showdown before racing the Southeastern Conference Championships.
“We have a young team, and it will be interesting to see how they respond,” Head Coach Khadevis Robinson said. “At this point we have the right pieces and they have put in the work. It’s time for us to figure out a way to step up and compete.”
In LSU’s last outing, the men took home 11th place at the Chile Pepper Festival, while the women finished 13th. Senior Morgan Schuetz and freshman Dajour Braxton continue to lead the LSU cross country teams, as Braxton placed 30th in the men’s 8k and Schuetz finished 63rd in the women’s 5k.
Freshman Jackson Fountain and junior Christian Johnson have been consistent runners for the Tigers this season and will compete along with Braxton Friday in the 8k race. Blair Henderson, Hayden Kingfisher, DC Lipani, Felipe Pelaez, Austin Santacruz, Bryan Stamey and Daniel Tanner will also race the 8k course giving the Tigers 10 total runners.
For the women, Schuetz will race with nine other Lady Tigers, including Mallory Bartow, Hannah Bourque, Elizabeth Dunning, Monica Guillot, Tahlaya Hardin, Erika Lewis, Rebecca Lewis, Hollie Parker and Jenna Walker.
Following the Crimson Classic, LSU will take a week off before traveling back to College Station, Texas, on Friday, Oct. 30, for the SEC Championships.
For the latest information on LSU’s men’s and women’s cross country teams, fans can follow the Tigers and Lady Tigers on twitter @LSUTrackField and on Facebook by liking LSU Track & Field.