The Texas A&M cross country team will rest its top runners and race the remaining 21 at the HBU Invitational in Houston on Friday.
The women’s race begins at 5 p.m., covering 3 miles, while the men’s race starts at 5:30 p.m., spanning 4 miles. Both teams will have to adjust to the dynamics of racing without their top teammates over a one-mile loop.
Junior Alex Riba said the top-seven runners will not be competing. If the varsity team would have ran Friday, it would have marked the third consecutive week of racing. This way, the top runners will have the chance to recoup before their meet next week.
The women’s nine athletes racing this weekend will allow for development and possibly a chance to earn a spot on the varsity team. The women competing include Emily Bandy, Valarie Bradley, Lizette Chapa, Melanie Enriquez, Lauren Fontana, Shelby McNeel, Erica Moorehead, Katie Watson and Rachel Williams.
The men’s team, coming off a 10-point victory from last year’s HBU Invite, will feature Jake Bootz, Eli Canal, Julian Castellano, Taylor Clayton, Elliott Farris, Chandler Heikkila, Zach Martin, Aaron Murray, Jacob Perry, Kevin Peters, Nathan Ricketts and Chase Van Voorhis.
“This can be a big stepping-stone meet for them as they try to earn a spot on the travel squad and continue to get better,” A&M men’s assistant coach Wendel McRaven said to 12thman.com.
Both of the teams will face off against the host Houston Baptist, Houston, Monterrey Tech, Prairie View A&M, Rice, Southern Prairie View, Baylor and Texas Southern.
Texas A&M, currently ranked 4th for men and 5th for women in the South Central Region, will run at the Crimson Classic next Friday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
