Gamecocks head to Greenville for 14-team race
For many of the runners in South Carolina’s cross country program, Saturday’s meet at Furman will be the last chance to earn a spot on the “A” team before the SEC Championships.
The top seven runners typically make up the “A” team, but at the SEC Championships teams are allowed 10. Coach Stan Rosenthal said there are still several positions up for grabs, and with the “A” team not running this weekend, members of the “B” team have a chance to earn a spot.
“They can make a statement that they should be one of the top people,” Rosenthal said.
The Gene Mullin Furman Invitational is a 5K race that will feature a mixture of Division I and II schools, totaling 14.
Rosenthal said he will not base his selections solely on the results of this weekend, but will look at the previous two meets as well.
Senior Erin Fedewa, juniors Jessica Hartman and Megan Rother and freshman Sarah Pelligrini are some of the top contenders to break into the “A” team.
Rosenthal said the goal for the athletes running this weekend is to finish within the 18-minute mark. He said based on practice, most of them are on pace to meet that goal.
“We had a good workout this week,” Rosenthal said. “If they race like they practice, they’ll be good.”
South Carolina’s biggest challenge Saturday is likely to come from the hosts. Rosenthal said he isn’t sure yet if Furman plans to run its “A” team or “B” team, but if they do decide to go with the starters, the Paladins will have the edge to win the event.
Furman’s “A” team is one of the stronger teams in the southeastern region. The Paladins beat out the Gamecocks last weekend in Charlotte with a second place finish out of 36 teams, while South Carolina finished seventh.
No matter what team Furman runs, however, Rosenthal expects a strong showing from his own group.
“We should finish no worse than third, and hopefully better,” Rosenthal said.
The race will be held on a golf course, which Rosenthal said guarantees good footing for the majority of the day. Rosenthal said the course has three loops, each of which has a hill.
“It’s not steep, but it is long,” he said. “Then there is a long, gradual downhill stretch, which is good because you can build up some real speed.”
The first half of the downhill run is a bit trickier than the fairways, as the path will go near the edge of the woods. Rosenthal said the runners will need to be cautious and watch for roots, but it isn’t so dangerous that the runners will risk injury.
Rosenthal said that the “A” team is not getting a week of rest. Instead, they will use the weekend to train harder.