TEMPE, Ariz. - The Arizona State cross-country team will be sending six athletes to compete at the first-ever UofA Open on Friday, Oct. 9 at 4:30 p.m.
Head coach Louie Quintana wanted to give several runners a chance to compete and prepare for the Sun Devils next big meet in Wisconsin next Friday in Madison.
For the men, redshirt sophomores Jack Balder and Cody Brazeal and redshirt freshmen J.P. Nelson and Nick Dale will make the trek to Tucson.
On the women's side, only junior Mia Townsend and redshirt freshman Lea Patek will run in the maroon and gold.
Neither team will be able to score as a team, but will instead compete as singles.
Quintana just wants the six of them to gain some competition and extra work without traveling too far.
The men will embark on a four-mile course -- one shorter than Notre Dame last week -- while the women run three miles.
Only four other schools will be competing, including the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona, Central Arizona and Dine College.
IN THE RANKINGS
Both men and women's teams are now unranked after the men fell out of the top-30 this week. The men were No. 18 in last week's National Coaches' Poll, but after a 19th place performance at the Joe Piane Invitational, they fell out of the polls. The men still received votes, and Quintana expects better things in Wisconsin next week.
LAST WEEK