University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Photo by: Adrian Etheridge
UNC Asheville to Host Asheville Cross Country Invitational on Friday
09.20.2018 | Cross Country
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville cross country program will host its lone home meet of the 2018 season this Friday, Sept. 21 in the Asheville Cross Country Invitational at Asheville Christian Academy.
In addition to the host Bulldogs, the 2018 Asheville Cross Country Invitational will include Belmont Abbey, Gardner-Webb, Lees-McRae, Limestone, Mars Hill (men only), Milligan, North Carolina Central, Tennessee Wesleyan, Warren Wilson and Wofford.
The women's 5K portion of the annual event is scheduled to get underway at 5:45 p.m. on Friday, while the men's 8K race will start at approximately 6:15 p.m. at Asheville Christian Academy.
BULLDOG BITES
Strong Start to Season
UNC Asheville cross country kicked off its 2018 season strongly at the Covered Bridge Open at the Don Kennedy Trails on Friday, Aug. 31.
In the women's 5K, UNC Asheville finished fourth as a team with an average time of 19:13.94, while the Bulldog men in the 8K ended their efforts in seventh with an average time of 27:25.86.
UNC Asheville's Clara Wincheski started off her career strongly by finishing seventh overall individually with a freshman record time of 17:58.06.
The UNC Asheville women had four finish in the top-50 individually with India Appleton (19:14.52 – 39th), Kelley Coleman (19:14.77 – 40th) and Madeline Nichols (19:29.29 – 48th) also registering top-50 finishes.
On the men's side, UNC Asheville had four register top-50 performances with Thomas Little (26:43.53 – 28th), Sage Turner (26:50.79 - 29th), Zach Boone (27:36.98 – 41st) and Graham Parker (27:53.06 – 45th) all notching top-50 individual finishes.
Quotable
"It's super-exciting because we have a really competitive field," UNC Asheville cross country head coach Jesse Norman said of the home meet. "We are looking forward to seeing how we do in our home meet. It's been a couple of weeks since we last raced, so we are excited to see what our last training block did for us."
Clean Sweep of Big South Weekly Awards
The UNC Asheville cross country program swept the first Big South weekly awards of the 2018 season on Wednesday, Sept. 5.
UNC Asheville freshman Clara Wincheski was named the Big South Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week, while junior Thomas Little was chosen as the Big South Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week.
Wincheski started off her career strongly by finishing seventh overall individually at the 5K Covered Bridge Open with a freshman record time of 17:58.06. The time is the fourth-fastest in program history.
Little posted a top-30 performance at the 8K Covered Bridge Open (26:43.53 – 28th).
Looking to Repeat
The UNC Asheville men's cross country team won the 2017 Asheville Cross Country Invitational at Asheville Christian Academy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017.
Up Next
UNC Asheville will open the month of October by participating in the Pirate Invitational in Greenville, N.C. on Friday, Oct. 12.
In addition to the host Bulldogs, the 2018 Asheville Cross Country Invitational will include Belmont Abbey, Gardner-Webb, Lees-McRae, Limestone, Mars Hill (men only), Milligan, North Carolina Central, Tennessee Wesleyan, Warren Wilson and Wofford.
The women's 5K portion of the annual event is scheduled to get underway at 5:45 p.m. on Friday, while the men's 8K race will start at approximately 6:15 p.m. at Asheville Christian Academy.
BULLDOG BITES
Strong Start to Season
UNC Asheville cross country kicked off its 2018 season strongly at the Covered Bridge Open at the Don Kennedy Trails on Friday, Aug. 31.
In the women's 5K, UNC Asheville finished fourth as a team with an average time of 19:13.94, while the Bulldog men in the 8K ended their efforts in seventh with an average time of 27:25.86.
UNC Asheville's Clara Wincheski started off her career strongly by finishing seventh overall individually with a freshman record time of 17:58.06.
The UNC Asheville women had four finish in the top-50 individually with India Appleton (19:14.52 – 39th), Kelley Coleman (19:14.77 – 40th) and Madeline Nichols (19:29.29 – 48th) also registering top-50 finishes.
On the men's side, UNC Asheville had four register top-50 performances with Thomas Little (26:43.53 – 28th), Sage Turner (26:50.79 - 29th), Zach Boone (27:36.98 – 41st) and Graham Parker (27:53.06 – 45th) all notching top-50 individual finishes.
Quotable
"It's super-exciting because we have a really competitive field," UNC Asheville cross country head coach Jesse Norman said of the home meet. "We are looking forward to seeing how we do in our home meet. It's been a couple of weeks since we last raced, so we are excited to see what our last training block did for us."
Clean Sweep of Big South Weekly Awards
The UNC Asheville cross country program swept the first Big South weekly awards of the 2018 season on Wednesday, Sept. 5.
UNC Asheville freshman Clara Wincheski was named the Big South Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week, while junior Thomas Little was chosen as the Big South Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week.
Wincheski started off her career strongly by finishing seventh overall individually at the 5K Covered Bridge Open with a freshman record time of 17:58.06. The time is the fourth-fastest in program history.
Little posted a top-30 performance at the 8K Covered Bridge Open (26:43.53 – 28th).
Looking to Repeat
The UNC Asheville men's cross country team won the 2017 Asheville Cross Country Invitational at Asheville Christian Academy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017.
Up Next
UNC Asheville will open the month of October by participating in the Pirate Invitational in Greenville, N.C. on Friday, Oct. 12.
Players Mentioned
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