(TRACK) Gators XC Heads to Tallahassee for Pre-Nationals Meet

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Gators men's and women's cross country teams are gearing up to race at FSU's Pre-Nationals Invitational on Friday, October 15. The meet will consist of two races for each gender - the men's 8k and women's 6k. The first race for each gender is the Garnet race, showcasing the top-seeded 39 men's and 36 women's teams. Each team will have eight athletes running. The next two races will be open to all other teams and individual runners.

Race Times
The first runners will compete in the Men's Garnet 8k at 8 a.m, with the Women's Garnet 6k to follow at 8:35 a.m. The next races are the Men's Open 8k at 9:10 a.m. and the Women's Open 6k at 9:45 a.m.

Live results from the meet will be posted by Primetime Timing.

Big SEC Competition
The Gators will be one of eight SEC teams competing in Tallahassee, giving fans a great preview of what to expect at the SEC Conference Championships. Florida will be accompanied by Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Vanderbilt.

On the men's side, Arkansas is going into the meet ranked the highest in the conference field, sitting at eighth in the USTFCCCA national rankings during week four. Their top runner is Myles Richter, who is coming off SEC Runner of the Week honors. At the Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 2, Richter ran an an impressive 23:33.5 8k time, which is the fastest in the conference this season. The next best men's SEC team is Alabama, ranking 22nd on the USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll.

On the women's side, the Crimson Tide moved up two spots to fourth in the national rankings, their highest mark in women's program history, following their third-place finish at the Notre Dame Joe Piane Invitational on Oct. 1. Alabama also claimed the Women's USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week honor in Mercy Chelangat. The defending SEC and NCAA champion ran a 5k time of 16:10.3 to cross the finish line first at Notre Dame, making it her fourth-consecutive individual cross country victory.

Gator Standings
The Gators' men's and women's teams have yet to break the top 25 on the coaches poll this season. The men's team earned a first-place finish at the UCF Invitational on Oct. 1, while the women finished in second. Both teams have shown the potential to place high in competitions, and the upcoming meet will tell whether they are able to maintain their winning streak.

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Gators XC Heads to Tallahassee for Pre-Nationals Meet - Florida Gators