Saturday, September 7
Florence, Ala.
All Day
Mississippi State
vs
UNA Invite
Cross Country kicks off their 2019 season Saturday.
Mississippi State Cross Country Opens 2019 Campaign at North Alabama
September 06, 2019 | Cross Country
by Mikaela Elizondo, Graduate Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE – Under the guidance of new distance coach Patrick McGregor, the Mississippi State cross country teams will hit the course to open the 2019 campaign on Saturday.
"This is a totally new team with a lot of newcomers," McGregor said. "I'm really excited to see what we can do together."
The women are led by veterans Sylvia Russell and Charlotte Cayton-Smith, who both saw success on the track last year. Russell was State's highest finisher in the 3000m at the SEC Indoor Championships and scored at the SEC Outdoor Championships with a fifth-place finish in the 3000m steeplechase.
"Sylvia is one that I've pegged as the team leader, if there was such a position," McGregor said of the junior. "It's going to be her responsibility to lead the way; not necessarily in place but in terms of what our attitude is as we enter into every meet and the season."
Cayton-Smith was part of the school record distance medley relay team in 20XX that clocked in at 11:06.32. She earned Second-Team All-SEC honors outdoors last season, winning bronze in the 800m.
Freshman Silvia De La Pena Garibay joins the roster from Saltillo, Mexico, where she represented her state and earned a gold medal in the 3000m at the U23 National Championships. The five-time state champion is expected to have an immediate impact for the Bulldogs' cross country team.
On the men's side, a pair of seniors are among the leading returners for the Bulldogs. Stephen Jones is back after breaking the school record in the 3000m steeplechase twice last year in his first season running the event. He earned Second Team All-SEC recognition outdoors as the league's runner-up in the event.
"Stephen is the leading example of what the mindset is going into every meet and every practice," McGregor said.
Chandler Underwood recorded the fourth-fastest outdoor 3000m time in school history when he finished second at the 2019 Southern Miss Open in 8:35.35.
The MSU women open their season at the University of North Alabama Invitational at McFarland Park in Florence, Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 7.
"Our number one goal is to win the meet," McGregor said. "I never like to line up on a starting line without the intention to compete and win. The second most important thing is that we learn a little bit about where our weaknesses are and what we need to improve on. Lastly, this is a good opportunity for us to mesh as a team."
The Bulldogs will utilize a young lineup led by sophomores Sydney Steely and Ava Weems. In addition, Anna Balzli, Nicole Franklin, Breja Hooks, Savannah Schwab, Mary Beth Woodward, and Kate Zacharias will all make their MSU debut.
Saturday's women's 5k features Alabama A&M, Jacksonville State and Memphis. Results for the meet can be found at SolidRockRaceTiming.com.
For more information on the Mississippi State cross country team, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.
STARKVILLE – Under the guidance of new distance coach Patrick McGregor, the Mississippi State cross country teams will hit the course to open the 2019 campaign on Saturday.
"This is a totally new team with a lot of newcomers," McGregor said. "I'm really excited to see what we can do together."
The women are led by veterans Sylvia Russell and Charlotte Cayton-Smith, who both saw success on the track last year. Russell was State's highest finisher in the 3000m at the SEC Indoor Championships and scored at the SEC Outdoor Championships with a fifth-place finish in the 3000m steeplechase.
"Sylvia is one that I've pegged as the team leader, if there was such a position," McGregor said of the junior. "It's going to be her responsibility to lead the way; not necessarily in place but in terms of what our attitude is as we enter into every meet and the season."
Cayton-Smith was part of the school record distance medley relay team in 20XX that clocked in at 11:06.32. She earned Second-Team All-SEC honors outdoors last season, winning bronze in the 800m.
Freshman Silvia De La Pena Garibay joins the roster from Saltillo, Mexico, where she represented her state and earned a gold medal in the 3000m at the U23 National Championships. The five-time state champion is expected to have an immediate impact for the Bulldogs' cross country team.
On the men's side, a pair of seniors are among the leading returners for the Bulldogs. Stephen Jones is back after breaking the school record in the 3000m steeplechase twice last year in his first season running the event. He earned Second Team All-SEC recognition outdoors as the league's runner-up in the event.
"Stephen is the leading example of what the mindset is going into every meet and every practice," McGregor said.
Chandler Underwood recorded the fourth-fastest outdoor 3000m time in school history when he finished second at the 2019 Southern Miss Open in 8:35.35.
The MSU women open their season at the University of North Alabama Invitational at McFarland Park in Florence, Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 7.
"Our number one goal is to win the meet," McGregor said. "I never like to line up on a starting line without the intention to compete and win. The second most important thing is that we learn a little bit about where our weaknesses are and what we need to improve on. Lastly, this is a good opportunity for us to mesh as a team."
The Bulldogs will utilize a young lineup led by sophomores Sydney Steely and Ava Weems. In addition, Anna Balzli, Nicole Franklin, Breja Hooks, Savannah Schwab, Mary Beth Woodward, and Kate Zacharias will all make their MSU debut.
Saturday's women's 5k features Alabama A&M, Jacksonville State and Memphis. Results for the meet can be found at SolidRockRaceTiming.com.
For more information on the Mississippi State cross country team, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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