Meet Info/Course MapHIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men's cross country team will get its first look at the 2015 Big South Championship course Saturday when the Panthers race at the USC Upstate Invitational.
The race is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. at the Roger Milliken Center in Spartanburg, S.C. The field includes a number of regionally-ranked teams, including North Florida (No. 5, South), Virginia Tech (No. 7, Southeast), Georgia Tech (No. 7, South), Liberty (No. 9, Southeast) and Appalachian State (No. 13, Southeast).
In addition to Liberty, HPU also will be joined by Big South foes Campbell, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian College, Radford and Winthrop.
"We're looking to group up and reestablish that pack mentality we've had this season," head coach
Mike Esposito said. "We're going to do that within the race. We'll go out rather conservatively and then hopefully work through the meet together."
HPU - ranked No. 10 in the Southeast region - is coming off a 10
th-place finish at the Virginia/Panorama Farms Invitational on Sept. 26 in Earlysville, Va.
Junior
Vinny Todaro led the Panthers with a 34
th-place finish out of 123 participants in a collegiate-best time of 24:52.10. The Newville, Pa., native improved upon his last 8k time (2014 Big South Championship) by close to 90 seconds.
Senior
Paddy Grandinali made his 2015 debut in Virginia and placed 47
th in a time of 25:06.80. The time was his best in an 8k event since 2013.
Todaro and Grandinali will look to lead the Panthers again Saturday during the team's run through of the course that will host the Oct. 31 Big South Championship.
"This event gives us a familiarity with the Big South course," head coach
Mike Esposito said. "When they go through the course a second time it becomes easier to navigate."
After Saturday's meet, the Panthers return to action with two events the weekend of Oct. 16-17. HPU's top-7 runners will head to Louisville, Ky., to compete at the NCAA Pre Nationals event at Tom Sawyer Park on Oct. 17. The remainder of the roster will race at the Wake Forest Invitational on Oct. 16 in Kernersville, N.C.
#GoHPU
