Greater Louisville Classic College Preview

GREATER LOUISVILLE CLASSIC

October 05, 2013 @ Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, KY

 

PRESS RELEASE

 
Louisville, KY- The Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) will host 112 colleges and universities from 20 states and Canada in the 12th 
Annual Greater Louisville Classic (GLC), which should be the second largest college meet contested in the United States in 2013. The Classic, run Saturday October 5, will bring together some of the top college cross country programs in the nation, as over 2,300 athletes are expected to compete at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park. The event will not only feature significant quantity, but the overall quality of the competing teams will once again be very strong this year. The field will be comprised of 19 men's teams and 21 women's teams that are currently ranked in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Div- I Regional & National, NCAA Div. II National and NCAA Div. III National Cross Country Polls this season. 
 
In the men's race, 2011 GLC team champion and top returning team from 2012 GLC (6th place) University of Louisville, currently ranked #9 in the NCAA D-I Southeast Region coaches poll, should face a strong challenge by Southeastern Conference power Texas A & M University, currently ranked #4 in the NCAA D-I South Central Region, University of Kentucky, currently ranked #6 in the NCAA D-I 
Southeast Region coaches poll and two new comings to the GLC from Canada University of Guelph and University of Western Ontario. The next group of teams expecting to vie for top 5 team honors should be perennial Ohio Valley Conference power and very deep Eastern Kentucky University, who will be racing some of their top athletes, currently ranked #17 in the National NCAA D-I and NCAA D-II power University of Southern Indiana, currently ranked #7 in the NCAA D-II National coaches poll.
 
Individually, the men’s race shapes up as a clash of some of best runners in the southeast. In the lead pack should be University of Louisville’s duo of Tyler Byrne (2011 GLC champion and coming off his best XC performance in two years, a second place finish at UK) and Ernest Kibet, Andrew Nixon (University of Guelph), with track credentials of 13:56 5,000m & 3:41 1,500m, and University of Kentucky’s teammates Matt Hillenbrand and Adam Kahleifeh, both coming off very strong performances at Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree.The women’s race showcases Texas A & M University, currently ranked #3 in the NCAA D-I South Central Region. The Aggies will be racing the GLC for the first time and will go off as the race favorite.
 
Several other squads should be vying for top five team finishes including Eastern Kentucky University, ranked #5 in the NCAA D-I Southeast Region, SEC member University of Kentucky ranked #6 in the Southeast Region, University of Louisville), currently ranked #7 in the Southeast Region, and both Canadian schools University of Guelph and University of Western Ontario. 
 
The women's individual race should be an evenly matched affair between some of the top collegiate runners in the United States and Canada. Expected to contend for top 5 placing Saturday should be University of Kentucky’s Cally MaCumber (6th place finisher in 2012 NCAA D-I cross country national championships), Gen Lalonda, a 9:54 3,000m steeple chaser last spring from University of Guelph and Ann Eason, Eastern Kentucky University’s top runner, having raced to a very fast 16:06 5,000m at the NCAA D-I track championships last spring.
 
Again this year, there will be very competitive high school and middle school races contested after the college event is completed. It is expected that over 1,600 young athletes from Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Missouri, Tennessee, and Ohio high schools will be competing Saturday afternoon with the first race at 12:00 pm.
 
For any further information please contact Troy Killian (502) 587-7767 or meet director David Lawhorn at (502) 330-1933