Lynchburg, Va. – The University of Lynchburg men's and women's cross country teams will send athletes to compete in the Connecticut College Invite in Waterford, Conn. and the Roanoke XC Invitational in Salem, Va. on Saturday, Oct. 18 as the teams approach the conclusion of the regular season.
As temperatures decline throughout the end of October, the Hornets aim to utilize the favorable conditions to post strong times and improve rankings ahead of the postseason. Lynchburg will compete in the 2025 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships at Bridgewater College on Saturday, Nov. 1.
Connecticut College Invite – Waterford, Conn.
The Lynchburg men's team occupies 19th in the USTFCCCA national poll and will send a select group to compete at the Connecticut College Invite at Harkness Memorial State Park. 12 of the 34 teams in the men's race are nationally ranked, and Lynchburg enters the weekend ranked eighth among the competitors at the meet.
On Saturday, the Men's 8k Blue Championship Race is slated to begin at noon. The temperature will improve to 58 degrees on Saturday under a partly cloudy sky, while the low temperature sits at 38 degrees. For comparison, the Hornets raced in 90-degree weather at the Adidas XC Challenge in Cary, N.C. during mid-September.
Last time out, the Hornets finished fifth out of 45 teams at the Paul Short Run, led by Alex Jordan's 24:32.1 performance for eighth place individually. The team's top-five finishers funneled inside the top 85 finishers, and Lynchburg finished one point behind ODAC foe No. 16 Washington & Lee.
Roanoke XC Invitational – Salem, Va.
Closer to home, the Lynchburg women's team and several athletes from the men's team will compete at Green Hill Park in Saturday's Roanoke XC Invitational. The course will host the 2025 South Region Championships and features an extremely flat layout.
Entering the weekend, the Lynchburg women's team holds a third-place ranking in the South Region behind Washington & Lee and Emory. The Hornets finished 26th at the Paul Short Run, and three of the top six finishers are first-year and sophomore athletes.
The men's 8k will commence at 10:30 a.m., while the women's 6k begins at 11:30 a.m. The course features several loops and remains easily accessible for spectators.
To follow live results from the Connecticut College Invite, click here.
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