Oct. 10, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. – For the final time in 2013, South Carolina’s cross country team races in a 5,000-meter competition, as the Gamecocks face a packed regional field in the Royal Cross Country Challenge, hosted by Queens University of Charlotte at McAlpine Creek Park.

After taking last week off from competition, the top of South Carolina’s lineup returns in the next-to-last regular-season meet. Junior Meredith Mill (Read about her here) has led the team all season, while sophomores Stephanie Berger, Christine Kent and Anna Todd have consistently been near the top of the Gamecocks’ finishers. Freshmen Mary Reiser, Martha McCoy, Melanie Ng and Sarah Falta have also pushed for better points for the team throughout the year.

The Gamecocks will send the full team to the race that has 45 teams signed up to run. Eleven of those are Division I schools, with two (No. 3 Duke and No. 10 UNC Greensboro) standing in the latest Southeast Regional rankings from the USTFCCCA.

The McAlpine Creek Park course in southeast Charlotte is mostly flat, providing the large number of runners a fast track. Other Division I schools competing include Big South members Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Liberty and Presbyterian as well as Charlotte, Western Carolina, Wofford and Savannah State, though not all indicate both men’s and women’s teams will compete.

FlashResults.com will have the results first, and a full recap will be available at GamecocksOnline.com.