THE FLATS – Georgia Tech cross country earned national recognition as the women’s team was ranked No. 25 in the nation in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, the USTFCCCA announced on Tuesday. The women also ranked No. 4 in the south region, and the men came in at No. 8 in the south region.
Tech women’s cross country earned the same ranking in the first poll of the 2020 campaign. The Yellow Jackets finished the season ranked 20th in the nation, but were ranked No. 13-15 in every other poll released.
The White and Gold start their season this Friday at the Kennesaw State Opener. The men are slated to start their 6K race at 8:30 a.m. while the women are slated to start their 4k race at 9:00 a.m. The course is a 2k loop that the men will run three times and the women will run twice. Spectator parking is located at 550 Shallowford Rd NE, Kennesaw, GA 30144.
Following this meet, Georgia Tech cross country heads to St. Paul, Minn. for the Roy Griak Invitational on Friday, Sept. 24. The team’s only other event in Georgia comes on Oct. 2 when they compete in the Alexander/Asics Invitational in Fairburn, Ga.
The Jackets’ women’s team graduated five runners last season and added eight new runners to the squad. Tech finished second at the ACC Championships. The Jackets had three top-14 finishers at the ACC Championships last year in Nicole Fegans (9th), Liz Galarza (13th), and Mary Kathryn Knott (14th). Claire Moritz was a consistent performer for Georgia Tech over the 2020 campaign. She scored points in each of the four meets Tech competed in 2020. Each of these top performers return for the 2021 season.
Georgia Tech men’s cross country returns all but four runners from the team last year while adding five new runners. Andrew Kent finished first for Tech in two of the three meets last year, but will not be back for this season. The White and Gold had two second place finishes buoyed by James Cragin who crossed first at the UF Mt. Dew Invitational.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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