Cross Country Hosts 20th Annual Mountain Dew Invitational
Friday, September 19, 2008 | Cross Country
The University of Florida will host the 20th Annual Mountain Dew Invitational on Saturday Sept. 20, beginning at 8 a.m at the UF Golf Course. The Gators welcome 15 collegiate women's programs and 13 collegiate men's programs, as well as almost 800 high school student-athletes.
The collegiate women's 5K race will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the collegiate men's 8K race at 8:30 a.m. Four high school races will come next as the varsity meets are held at 9:05 a.m. and 9:35 a.m. and the junior varsity meets at 10:05 a.m. and 10:35 a.m. The girls will race fist in both cases. There will be two awards ceremonies to honor the top finishers – the collegiate ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. near the pro shop and the high school ceremony will conclude the day at 11 a.m.
Both UF's men and women have taken first place in the event for the past three years.
The women's team has won the event 16 times in its 19-year history, including a run of nine-straight first-place victories from 1992 to 2000. The men's team has won 15 times, also with nine consecutive finishes on top.
The men have also boasted the last three champions, as Enoch Nadler, current senior Jeremy Criscione (Interlachen, Fla.) and Henok Lechebo crossed the finish first in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. Current student coach Lindsay Sundell won the race in 2006 and former Gator Allison Mascas took first in 2005. Sundell was the runner-up in 2007.
Fourteen other Florida women's programs will join the defending champion Gators. The four schools that round out the top five last year, Tampa, UCF, North Florida and Florida Atlantic, are all returning. Florida Gulf Coast (seventh), Miami(eighth) and South Florida (10th) are also returning from 2007's top 10. Joining them will be Jacksonville, Florida International, Nova Southeastern, Pasco-Hernando Community College, St. Leo, St. Thomas and Warner Southern.
On the men's side, UCF (second), Miami (fourth), North Florida (fifth), Tampa (seventh), Nova Southeastern (eighth) and Florida Atlantic (10th) will make appearances this year after finishing the top 10 in 2007. Joining them will be Florida A&M, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida International, St. Leo, St. Thomas, South Florida and Warner Southern.
Cross country coach Todd Morgan will be coaching the Gators for the first time at the Mountain Dew Invitational. Morgan, who is in his third season at Florida, is overseeing the cross country program. He was an assistant when the Gators won the invitational in 2005.
The Gators are also opening their doors to nearly 800 athletes competing for 34 area high schools on the boys' side and 36 area high schools on the girls' side.
Results will be posted on www.gatorzone.com after the collegiate meets and then again after the conclusion of the entire day's races.
