CLINTON, S.C. - Head cross country coach Thad Palmer has released the upcoming 2012-2013 schedule for the men's and women's cross country teams. Highlights include seven dates of competition including trips to the Disney World Classic, 2012 Big South Championships, and the 2012 NCAA Regional Championships.
The season will start with the Blue Hose returning to race at the Gamecock Invitational for the first time since 2009. USC will host the 5k event at Fort Jackson's Hilton Field on Friday, August 31. The men are scheduled to race at 6:30 p.m. with the women following at 7:00 p.m.
After a one-year lapse, PC will return to Winthrop on Saturday, September 15, for the 26th Annual Asics Invitational. With the Eagles set to host the 2012 Big South Conference Championships, the race will also serve as the Conference's Preview Meet.
On Friday, September 28, the teams will return to the Charlotte Invitational held in Charlotte, N.C. at McAlpine Park. The Blue Hose have traveled to this race the last two seasons and posted some of their fastest times there. The 49ers will also host the 2012 NCAA Southeast Regionals in November, so their home invitational will also serve as a preview and likely draw even more ranked competition.
The following weekend will be the team's Fall Break trip to Lake Buena Vista, Fla. to participate in the 2012 Disney World Classic on Saturday, October 6. This will be the first time PC has competed in the large invitational. There will be an admission fee for any fans trying to enter ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex. Travel information can be received by contacting Coach Palmer at jtpalmer@presby.edu.
On Saturday, October 13, PC will return to the Upstate Invitational held at the Roger Milliken Plant in Spartanburg, S.C. The Blue Hose finished fifth in both races last season.
The Blue Hose will then travel back to Rock Hill, S.C. for the 2012 Big South Championships on Saturday, October 27. As mentioned earlier, PC has competed at Winthrop annually since 2004, including twice in 2010, but missed last season's Asics Invitational to race at Coastal Carolina. The familiar course will be a welcoming sight as the Blue Hose will be competing for their first Big South title after completing a five-year transition to Division I.
Coach Palmer will then take his top-five runners back to Charlotte, N.C. to the 2012 NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championship on November 9. It will be PC's first trip to the DI Regionals and first postseason appearance since the 2006 DII Southeast Regionals in Wingate, N.C. The men will race a 10k and the women a 6k. Qualifying teams will then move onto the NCAA Division I National Championship in Terre Haute, Ind.
"I am really excited to see our teams compete in these races," Palmer said. "We only lost one top-five runner between both teams and added several talented freshmen to the roster. I believe our momentum will carry over from last season when our underclassmen got valuable experience in our top-five and showed improvement throughout the season. With their continued leadership, we will have our best season to date."
