Sept. 7, 2006
The <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>South Carolina cross country team looks to build upon last week’s team title as it heads to Clemson, S.C., Saturday for the Clemson Invitational. The meet, scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m., will feature four other division one teams, including conference rival and nationally ranked Georgia.
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“Georgia was third in the SEC last year, and they were an NCAA qualifying team,” cross country coach Stan Rosenthal said. “What we want to do is measure ourselves against a team that’s very good and chart our progress.”
The other schools in the meet include: Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb and South Carolina State.
USC took home the title in last Friday’s Gamecock Invitational. Paced by sophomore Casey Gale who ran a personal best 18:31 to place second individually, the Gamecocks finished with three athletes in the top-10, totaling 38 points for first place.
“Our team goal is to try to put as many people as we can inside the top five (the scoring positions),” Rosenthal said. “It will be a good measuring stick. If we do well against Georgia, then we can see how we should do against other quality national teams.”
The Gamecocks are looking to improve upon last season’s fourth place finish at the Clemson Invite. Junior Rebecca Chain led the Gamecocks then after running the event in 18:41 for a 12th-place showing. The captain will be look towards to provide leadership to the young but talented Gamecock team this year.
“Rebecca and Casey are expected to be our top two,” Rosenthal said. “We don’t know if our number three through number seven will be the same. Someone else may step up, and that will be a good thing.”
The Gamecocks follow up the Clemson meet with a trip to the Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C., next Saturday, September 16. Carolina will run its “B” team in the event.
