Cross Country Heads North to Minnesota

Sept. 25, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma men's and women's cross country teams head north to Minneapolis, Minn., this Saturday, September 26, for the 2009 Roy Griak Invitational.

The prestigious event featuring 22 different Division I programs will be held at the Les Bolstad Golf Course with the men covering 8,000 meters and the women 6,000. The event starts at 9:00 a.m. CST with college/junior college action from Division II and Division III ranks. The Division I collegiate men are set to run at 12:10 p.m. with the collegiate women rounding out the action at 12:55 p.m.

The Griak will mark the season debut for all 10 Sooner men scheduled to make the trip and the OU debut for seven men, five newcomers and two redshirt-freshmen. Juniors Jacob Boone and Rob Sorrell along with sophomore Kevin Schwab comprise the only athletes in Saturday's group with previous collegiate cross country action at OU.

Bill Kogel and Kevin Williams both make their collegiate debuts after redshirting in 2008 while Patrick Gomez, Eric Harasyn, Clay Mayes, Bobby Nicolls and Jeremy Sudbury all don the crimson and cream for the first time in their career.

The Sooner women are anchored by junior and 2008 All-Big 12 honoree Jessica Engel, who will make her season debut Saturday.

Lauren Watson, who took fourth at the Hurricane Festival on Sept. 5, completing the two-mile course in 11 minutes and 15 seconds will also be competing. Ellen Dobbin, Molly Ferguson, Lindsay Pierson and true freshmen Tati Ogan and Erin Hargens round out the OU travel squad for Saturday.

The Sooners will compete against a number of ranked teams in the event as the women take on the host Minnesota, ranked eighth nationally, Michigan State, ranked 17th, and Iowa State at No. 28. The men will face two top-25 teams in No. 17 Minnesota and No. 25 Iowa State.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Cross Country Heads North to Minnesota

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