The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s and women’s cross country teams will close out the regular season with its Front Runner Invitational Saturday at the Moccasin Bend Race Course. The women will run a 2-mile race at 3:00 p.m. followed by the men’s 5K.
The women are without junior All-American Teghan Henderson (Pickering, Ontario) after an injury has sidelined her for the remainder of the season. Senior Amanda Cotter (Bristol, Conn.) and junior Rebecca Greenwall (Bogart, Ga.) will lead the Mocs along with senior Keeley Stewart (Winchester, Tenn.), sophomores Jessica York (Normandy, Tenn.) and Maddison Melchionna (Afton, Tenn.) and freshman Emily Drouin (Verona, Ontario).
All six runners, along with Henderson, are ranked among the Top 20 in the Southern Conference.
Greenwall is sixth with a time of 18:15.60 recorded at the Greater Louisville Classic on October 3. Cotter is ninth in the league for that distance with a time of 18:19.60 recorded at the GLC. York posted her best time of the season, 18:35.36 at the Vanderbilt Commodore Classic ranking 13th, as did Stewart (15 - 18:37.67) and Drouin (16 - 18:39.05). Melchionna rounds out the Top 20 with a time of 19:06.83 at the Commodore Classic.
The men are without senior Harry Smithers (Melbourne, Australia) and junior Austin Cassasa (Nashville, Tenn.) due to injury. Senior John Gilpin (Nashville, Tenn.) has led the Mocs throughout the season crossing the line first for Chattanooga in all races so far this season.
He completed the 5K season-opening PowerAde Invitational with a time of 15:51.40 while junior Trevor Janssen was not far behind with a time of 16:00.51. Also running for the Mocs this weekend are juniors Patrick O’Brien (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Matthew Marshall (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) and Marquis Carter (Memphis, Tenn.).
The Mocs will host Middle Tennessee, Lipscomb, Fisk, Florida A&M, Auburn Montgomery Tennessee State and Southern Conference newcomer, Mercer. Results will be available at GoMocs.com following the race.
The event will be hosted at the Moccasin Bend Race Course along the banks of the Tennessee River and in the shadow of Lookout Mountain. Admission is free.