Wisconsin adidas Invitational — Madison, Wis.
When/Where: Friday, Thomas Zimmer Championships Course in Madison, Wis.
Women: 10 a.m. MT — six kilometers
Men: 10:45 p.m. MT — eight miles
Live Coverage: Flotrack.org
Results: GoLobos.com
Right now, at the midpoint of the season, the road to the NCAA Championships is crowded with teams jostling for postseason position.
This weekend, however, the Lobos can move into the lead pack.
The University of New Mexico’s nationally ranked cross country teams are aiming to continue strengthening their postseason credentials at the exceptionally competitive Wisconsin adidas Invitational Friday.
Against a field that is replete with a number of the nation’s top teams, the No. 11 women and No. 16 men are gearing up for some pack running to pick up wins against other teams so they can build résumés worthy of the NCAA Championships that will be held Nov. 22 in Terre Haute, Ind.
“We need to run as a group,” Lobo head coach Joe Franklin said. “If we run as a seven individuals, we will fail. If we run as one team, we’ll do fine.”
 |
|
| Alice Wright |
Despite being just six years old, the Wisconsin adidas Invitational has blossomed into one of the top meets in the nation as the best teams around vie for victories to add to their postseason ledger.
The Lobos have been one of those teams in recent years, including last season when the men placed fifth and the women took sixth.
That showing—in which the Lobos claimed a combined 27 wins over ranked teams—propelled UNM into the postseason, where both teams placed top-12 at the NCAA Championships.
And after a strong performances two weeks ago at the Notre Dame Invitational where the women won the meet and men placed third, the Lobos are in position to make some moves this weekend.
Any strides toward the NCAAs, however, will come against a stacked field.
The women’s six-kilometer race features 22 teams ranked in the most recent edition of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Coaches’ Poll, including No. 2 Michigan State, No. 5 Arkansas, No. 6 Stanford and No. 8 Iowa State
The men’s eight-kilometer race is similarly staunch with 19 ranked squads—including No. 3 Northern Arizona, No. 5 Portland, No. 6 Syracuse and No. 7 Stanford—slated to compete.
Add in Canadian powerhouse University of Guelph that dominated top NCAA teams two weeks ago at the Paul Short Run, and the Lobos are facing a tall task on the Thomas Zimmer Championships Course.
But New Mexico, behind its veteran corps of runners, is up to such a challenge.
“Whether you’re in the ‘A’ race or the ‘B’ race, you have to compete and compete hard because it’s going to be difficult in either race,” Franklin said. “We have to make sure we’re putting the best team out there.”
On the women’s side, the Lobos will look for some signature wins behind its ace, Charlotte Arter, who took home USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week honors after winning the Notre Dame Invitational two weeks ago.
 |
|
| Ross Matheson |
Arter, who also claimed Mountain West Athlete of the Week after Notre Dame, has continued her run as a legitimate top-tier threat for Franklin.
But this women’s team, as proven two weeks ago, is loaded with talented runners.
New Mexico placed all five of their scorers in the top 20 in South Bend, a feat unmatched at the meet.
Alice Wright and Calli Thackery have been running together at each meet this year, with Thackery winning the Lobo Invitational in September and Wright crossing the line barely a second faster than Thackery at Notre Dame.
Nicola Hood, a scorer at both meets, is another name to watch for, along with Tamara Armoush (18th at Notre Dame), Amber Zimmerman, Emily Reese, Emily Hosker-Thornhill, Nicole Roberts, Sophie Connor, Anna Burton, Chloe Anderson and Heleene Tambet
All told, Franklin will run 13 women at Wisconsin between the ‘A’ race and the ‘B’ race.
For the men, there won’t be as many runners competing as the women, but is won’t affect the quality of running.
With Adam Bitchell leading the squad, the Lobos fought their way to third at Notre Dame versus strong competition. He earned MW Athlete of the Week honors for his 11th-place finish and figures to be a scorer again for the Lobos after leading them for the first time in his three years in Albuquerque.
However, the No. 2 through 5 runners keyed UNM two weeks ago, with all four finishing within the top 50.
No. 2 finisher Alex Cornwell and No. 3 finisher Ross Matheson are two Lobos capable of repeating their successes. Dan Studley, Graham Thomas, Jake Shelley and Elmar Engholm will also aim to contribute this week for a smaller men’s travel party.
Despite a relatively limited number of runners, the men will look to run together as a pack, as they’ve done to great effect in past years at Wisconsin, for a strong performance.
The women will compete Friday at 10 a.m. MT, while and the men run at 10:45 a.m. MT. The women’s ‘B’ race is at 11:30 a.m. MT. Check back Friday evening on GoLobos.com for meet results and a New Mexico recap.