Gamecocks Head To Notre Dame For Joe Piane Invitational
COURSE MAP
South Carolina cross country returns to action after a three-week layoff when it competes Friday at the 2018 Joe Piane Invitational, hosted by Notre Dame. Action for the Gamecocks begins at 3:15 PM ET with the Gold Division 5K.
FIELD NOTES
The Gamecocks will take part in the 63rdannual Joe Piane Invitational with 36 other women’s teams. The field includes 17 regionally ranked teams with five nationally ranked. South Carolina is one of just two SEC teams (LSU) to run in this year’s edition of the race.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Team and spectator parking will be located just north of Burke Golf Course on Dorr Road in lots D6 North and South. Admission is free to the public.
LAST TIME OUT – SEPT. 1 AT THE CAROLINA CHALLENGE (COLUMBIA, S.C.)
South Carolina cross country started the season with its home opener at the Sandhill REC Course as the Gamecocks finished third out of 12 teams in the Carolina Challenge on Sept. 1. Sophomore Heather Stone led the way for the Gamecocks, placing third with a time of 17:48.8.
Stone’s time, her personal best as a Gamecock, was the sixth-fastest 5K finish in Carolina history. Along with Stone, six other Carolina runners (Allie Mueller, Colleen Openshaw, Sarah-Sims McGrath, Anna Stoddard, Cailin Saylor and Kelsey Larkin) finished in the top-20. Seven more Gamecocks (Brooke Wilson, Emily Crounse, Maryah Nasir, Kira Jenkins, Leah Ford, Morgan Lee and Hannah Twine) posted results in the top-30.
For her efforts, Stone was named the SEC Women’s Runner of the Week for her third-place performance at the Carolina Challenge, the league office announced the following Monday. This was the first time Carolina earned a Runner of the Week honor since 2013.
LAST SEASON AT THE JOE PIANE INVITATIONAL
The University of South Carolina cross country team finished 13th out of 25 teams in the Gold Division of the Joe Piane Invitational, hosted by Notre Dame. Junior Allie Mueller led the way, posting what was at the time the seventh-best individual 5K effort in Carolina history.
Four of Carolina’s nine competitors in the Gold Division 5K set collegiate bests. Mueller led the way, finishing 23rd out of 204 runners with a time of 17:56.0, more than 38 seconds better than her previous 5K top effort. Heather Stone ran 18:26.1 to take 59th, while Colleen Openshaw finished 70th at 18:37.0. Kaylee Wessel crossed the line 76th, running 18:41.5, while Sarah-Sims McGrath finished in 18:45.2 to check in 84th. Brooke Wilson stopped the clock in 19:07.5 to finish 119th, and Allie Sprague rounded out the Carolina scorers with a 122nd-place finish, in 19:08.0.
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks return to action and the Palmetto State on Oct. 6 for the Charleston Classic. For more information on Carolina, continue to check with gamecocksonline.com.
