Women Set to Host Deep Crimson Classic Field
9/17/2010 12:00:00 AM
Sept. 17, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama women's cross country team will welcome nearly 20 collegiate teams to Tuscaloosa for its annual Crimson Classic meet on Sept. 18 at the Harry Pritchett Running Course.
The women's 5-kilometer race will follow the men's race at approximately 9:15 a.m. The deep women's field boasts 19 teams including six squads that are ranked regionally. Of those six, three, including Alabama at fifth, are ranked in the South Region, giving the Crimson Tide an early test of how they compare to other regional rivals.
"When you race teams from your own and other regions with similar rankings, you certainly need to beat those teams," UA women's head coach Randy Hasenbank said. "It's a great barometer for us and it tells us if we're on track or if we need to work a whole lot harder. We'll know after Saturday a little bit more about who we are and who we need to be."
The women's team opened its season on Sept. 3 with a fourth-place finish at the Belmont/Vanderbilt Opener. However, with two additional weeks of training Hasenbank is counting on his veteran squad to begin hitting its stride at the Crimson Classic.
"We're running at full strength which is very exciting and I'm looking forward to what we can do Saturday," Hasenbank said. "We need to see a competitive roster out there and really need to compete well and decide who we're going to be this year. We've got high goals and it definitely starts this weekend."
The Tide will also host high school and middle school races following the completion of the collegiate races. The high school girls' 5-kilometer race will begin at 9:45 a.m. followed by the boys' 5-kilometer at 10:15 a.m. The middle school 2-mile race will begin at 10:45 a.m. Complete results will be posted at here.
