- The Aggies travel to Princeton, N.J., for the first time in program history
- Texas A&M faces a deep field featuring eight nationally ranked teams, including SEC opponent Alabama
- Debora Cherono makes her season debut, while SEC weekly award winners Laney Barnes and Jack Johnston also return to competition
PRINCETON, N.J. – The Texas A&M cross country teams travel for the first time in program history to compete in the Princeton Meadows Challenge this Saturday, Sept. 26. The men race an 8k at 8:30 a.m., followed by the women in a 6k at 9:15 a.m.
The Aggies face off against a deep national field, with eight teams currently ranked inside the USTFCCCA Top 25, including five on the men’s side and three on the women’s side, while eight additional teams are receiving votes in the latest national coaches’ polls. The teams will also face SEC opponent Alabama, which is ranked No. 4 nationally on the men’s side and No. 10 on the women’s side.
Texas A&M looks to field a near-full squad, with Cherono set to make her season debut after being the leading returning Aggies performer at last year’s SEC Championships. Barnes looks to win another SEC Women’s Freshman of the Week award, while on the men’s side, Johnston returns to competition looking to earn his second SEC Men’s Runner of the Week honor.
This time last year, the teams traveled to the Northeast for their third meet of the season, competing at the Paul Short Run at Lehigh. The Aggies faced some of the nation’s top teams, with the men finishing third and the women placing fourth. Among this year’s returners, Johnston was the top finisher for the men, placing 10th, while Megan Roberts and Cherono led the women with 11th- and 13th-place finishes, respectively.
This meet marks the Aggies’ first away meet of the season as they prepare to travel to Columbia, Missouri, for the SEC Championships on October 30. Following Saturday’s meet, the team returns home for the annual Arturo Barrios Invitational, which features a competitive field of some of the South Central Region’s top teams. The meet serves as another opportunity for the Aggies to test themselves before Texas A&M hosts the South Central Regional Championships on November 13.
Coaches Comments:
"It's a great opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the country and see where we are at this point in the season," Distance Coach Wendel McRaven said. "This trip will set us up well as we continue to improve every day and work toward the SEC Championships and beyond."
Fans can follow the meet results through this Link.
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