The cross-country Bulldogs travel to South Bend, Ind. to compete in the Notre Dame Invitational today. The invitational will be held at the nine-hole Notre Dame Golf Course on the Notre Dame campus.
Women’s head coach Al Schmidt said the teams did not run well in this invitational last year due to a lot of personal injuries.
“Our freshmen ran very well, and of course they are our sophomores this year, and we have a very talented group of freshmen this year,” Schmidt said.
Men’s head coach Steve Dudley said that this is probably the second biggest meet in cross country.
“We have won all of our meets so far, but we should have. Now if we can finish in the top half of this meet we will have up-stepped some very good teams,” Dudley said.
Senior Jonathan Rono said his expectations were to improve as a team.
“We are ready as a team, and as a team we have been improving,” Rono said. “We are going to do good.”
Schmidt said that the 10 top-20 women’s teams at this meet makes it one of the most difficult fields the ‘Dogs will face.
“The only way to gain respect is by running against ranked teams,” Schmidt said.
The Notre Dame Invitational is one of the nation’s oldest and largest intercollegiate cross country meets. It was started in 1955 by legendary Irish former head coach Alex Wilson and has been run continuously ever since. The men’s races originally began as four-mile events before being extended to five miles in 1968, with the 5k women’s race being added in 1987.
“I have been doing better this season. I am a team leader,” Jonathon Rono said. “I am going to finish the season out even with my injury because I want the team to do well. I really want us to improve this season.”
“This race and the next race are going to be difficult, but you have to throw them in the fire and see how they do,” Al Schmidt said. “I am very optimistic.”