TOWSON, Md. — The Towson University cross country team will host its second and final meet of the season in the Towson Alumni Invitational. The race is set for Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Baltimore Agricultural Center. The women's 5k will kick things off at 10 a.m. while the men's 8k is slated for right after at 10:30 a.m.
Race Information:
Course: Baltimore Agricultural Center (Cockeysville, Md.)
Race Distances: Women: 5000 meters (5k) | Men: 8000 meters (8k)
Race times: Women: 10 a.m. | Men 10:30 a.m.
The Course
Both the 5k and 8k courses are set up around crop fields and through the open grassy areas of the farm park. There are rolling hills throughout.
The Field
In addition to Towson, five other schools will also be attending the meet including Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville, Loyola, Navy, Neumann and Anne Arundel Community College.
Last Time Out
Prior to having a week off from competition, the Tigers competed in the Maribel Sanchez Souther Invitational hosted by Dartmouth on Sept. 11. The team placed third out of four opponents. The Tigers were led by graduate transfer Ainsley Jacobs in the 6k as she came in sixth place with a time of 22:44.29. Casey Walter (23:48.05), Nicole Bezborodko (23:56.67) and Sara Kindbom (23:57.96) ended the race in 18th through 20th place within just seconds of each other.
Finding Early Success
The Tigers came in first place out of six teams with 33 total points at the Towson Invitational which the team hosted on Sept. 4. Jacobs was the top-finisher in the women's 4k and set a new personal-best with a time of 14:35.6. Walter followed closely behind to finish in second (15:14.4) in her first collegiate race. Bezborodko ended in fourth (15:25.8) and Rachel Thomas came in 10th (15:51.5) to place four Tigers in the top-10.
The Road Ahead
Towson has two regular season meets left before heading into the postseason. The black & gold will participate in Lehigh's Paul Short Run at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Oct. 1 before traveling to the Princeton Invitational on Oct. 16. From there, the team will go to Boston for the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship on Oct. 30. The Tigers will return to Goodman Stadium on Nov. 12 for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals. To end the season, those who qualify will compete in the NCAA Championships in Tallahassee, Florida on Nov. 20.
