TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State cross country team is set to open the 2015 season at the George Kyte Classic on Saturday in Flagstaff at Buffalo Park.
The men’s 4.5 mile race is set for a 1:30 p.m. PT start, and the women’s 2.6 mile race will follow at 2:30 p.m. PT.
Representing the No. 22 Sun Devil men’s team on Saturday are redshirt sophomore Cody Brazeal and redshirt freshmen Brandon Boys, Nick Dale, J.P. Nelson, Ryan Normand, and John Reniewicki.
On the women’s side, redshirt seniors Shaina Corbin, Madison Davis, and Jennifer Owen, senior Cristina Juan Torres, junior Chelsey Totten, and redshirt freshman Lea Patek are set to represent the Sun Devils in the season opener.
Results will be available at NAUAthletics.com, while updates throughout the meet will be on Twitter at @SunDevilTFXC.
LAST YEAR AT THE GEORGE KYTE CLASSIC
At last season’s trip to the George Kyte Classic, Jenna Maack led the Sun Devils to a top finish as she crossed the finish line of the 4.2k race in 15:18.2 for third place, and ASU totaled 38 points.
The Sun Devil men finished in second in the 7.2k race, with CJ Albertson taking the runner-up individual spot at 22:36.6.
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils will venture down I-10 to Tucson next week for the Dave Murray Invitational on Friday, Sept. 18. The first race of the day will begin at 4:45 p.m. PT.
IN THE USTFCCCA POLL
The Sun Devil men’s team open the season as the highest ranked team to miss out on last season’s NCAA meet at No. 22, while the women’s team has received votes toward the top-30.
In the west region, the Sun Devil men sit at No. 4 behind Stanford, Oregon, and UCLA, while the women opened up at No. 7.
THE 2015 PAC-12 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2015 Pac-12 Cross Country Championships will be hosted by Washington State in Colfax, Wash., on Friday, Oct. 30, at the Colfax Golf Club. The race will be aired on a tape-delay basis on the Pac-12 Networks.
HEAD COACH LOUIE QUINTANA
Entering his 12th season as head cross country coach and his 15th overall season at ASU, head coach Louie Quintana will continue to coach both the men’s and women’s program in 201s. In his time with ASU, his women have captured two NCAA trophies (fourth place in 2005 and 2007) while seven runners have combined to earn 10 All-America honors, the most recent in 2014 with Shelby Houlihan. On the track, his athletes have won five national titles, 48 All-America accolades and 17 Conference individual championships. His distance runners also have helped the women’s track & field team to three Pac-10 titles, two NCAA West Region titles and three NCAA Championships while his men were instrumental in helping ASU to its first indoor NCAA crown.
THE ASU WOMEN
Returners: Shaina Corbin, Makenna Fisher, Cristina Juan Torres, Miranda Kewley, Jenna Maack, Adriana Olivas, Lea Patek, Chelsey Totten, and Mia Townsend.
Newcomers: Hannah Benoit Bucher, Rachel Clark, Madison Davis, Kaitlin Kaluzny, Samantha Ortega, Jennifer Owen, Anna Pruter, and Kelly Schock.
THE ASU MEN
Returners:
CJ Albertson, Jack Balder, Jeff Bickert, Brandon Boys, Cody Brazeal, Nick Dale, Ryan Herson, Noah Kenyawani, Bernie Montoya, J.P. Nelson, Ryan Normand, Ryan Norton, John Reniewicki, Ian Roberts, Riley Wattier, and Daniel Wong.
Newcomers: Tim Broggie, Simon Paige, Kyle Shinn, and Alexander Stevens.