Oct. 17, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. – After the historic performance in the Royal Cross Country Challenge, South Carolina heads to one last tune-up race before the championship season begins, as the Gamecocks take on 34 other teams in the Indiana State Pre-National Invitational White Race on Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind.

Held on the same LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course that will host the NCAA Championships, the invite brings over 80 women’s teams total to Indiana State for the event. The White race includes 11 regionally-ranked teams for the Gamecocks to test themselves against. Also, six other teams from South Carolina’s home Southeastern Region will compete, including Campbell, Charlotte, Clemson, East Carolina, Liberty and Virginia Tech.

In the last 6,000-meter competition, the Gamecocks finished 20th in the 28th-annual Roy Griak Invitational. But in last weekend’s Royal Challenge, the Gamecock top five all posted times in the top 40 in South Carolina cross country history, led by junior Meredith Mill’s record-setting 5,000-meter time of 17:03.6. Freshman Mary Reiser, who along with Mill took home SEC weekly honors in the Gamecock sweep when she tallied the sixth-fastest time in history and the top clocking for a true freshman, will also look to continue her improvement at the longer distance.

Other Gamecocks competing in the White Race at 12:55 p.m. EDT include senior Penny Boswell, sophomores Stephanie Berger, Christine Kent and Anna Todd as well as freshman Martha McCoy. Also competing in the Women’s Open Race at 2:10 p.m. are sophomores Alex Mullin, Allie Whitley and Brandy Wybersky along with freshmen Sarah Falta and Brittany Day.

Full results will be available at GamecocksOnline.com at the conclusion of the day.