University of South Florida
FSU Invitational
South Florida Cross County Runs Strong Performance Again
September 29, 2023 | Cross Country
Menโs team finishes fifth, Womenโs ninth in Tallahassee on Friday
Tallahassee, Fla., September 27, 2023ย โย The University of South Florida men's and women's cross country teams completed their third meet of the season on Friday morning, in the FSU Invitational at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.
For the 7:40 a.m. men's 8K, the Bulls finished fifth out of 31 teams running and were given 178 points. Five Bulls finished in the top 60 runners, of the 342 runners competing. The top finisher was graduate student Nickolas Kamen (Naples) who finished 27th with a time of 25:32.6 on the course. Behind him were freshmanย Jackson Dravoย (Creekside) in 39th with a time of 25:40.2 and sophomore Thomas Ashley (Boynton Beach) in 41st with a time of 25:42.2 on the day. USF's top male finisher last meet, sophomoreย Tyler Wadsworthย (Port Charlotte) came in 53rd with a 25:51.8 time and seniorย Jonathan Reidย (Bradenton) rounded out USF's top finishers with a 55th place finish at a 25:55.4 time.
For the 8:15 a.m. women's 5K mile, the Bulls earned ninth out of 35 teams competing, being given 260 points, just one point behind Florida Southern's eighth-place finish. Three Bull runners placed in the top 60, led by seniorย Kelly Lynchย (Wilmington, Del.), who finished as the team's top performer coming in 23rd out of 335 runners, with a time of 18:16.7 on the course. Behind her were two freshman Bulls, in 35th was freshmanย Delaney Stephensย (Port Orange) with a time of 18:34.8, and in 53rd was freshmanย Marlo Hiblerย (Ft. Lauderdale) with a time of 18:52.2 on the day.ย
"We saw growth today in this meet," Director of Track & Field and Cross Countryย Erik Jenkinsย said. "The teams capitalized on the opportunity and were able to surpass several teams that had previously beaten us. Both teams gained valuable experience in a competitive race on an outstanding course."
Up next, the Bulls travel to back to Lakeland, Fla. to compete in the SSC Preview at Holloway Park scheduled for Friday, Oct. 13.
About USF Cross Country
The USFย Cross Countryย team has earnedย 2ย All-America selections,ย Christina Benton in 2002 and Grayย Mavheraย in 1994.ย The Bulls have advanced to the NCAA Cross Country Championships seven times in program history, three times for the men and four times for the women.ย The USF men's team have won seven team conference championships and the women have won five team championships. Director of Track & Field and Cross Countryย Erik Jenkinsย took over the program inย 2019 andย during his tenure,ย the Bulls postedย twelveย program records andย 106ย top 10ย all-time program marks. USF hosted theย 2018 NCAA Track and Field East Preliminary and the 2021 AAC Outdoor Championship at the USF Track and Field Stadium, as well as the 2022 AAC Country Cross Country Championship at Holloway Park.ย
โ #GoBulls โ
