July 16, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - On Wednesday, UCF cross country and track and field head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert announced the Knights' 2008 cross country slate, which includes a pair of home meets. The Knights will host the UCF Black & Gold Challenge on Sept. 5 and the UCF Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 13.
Both of the races will be held on campus.
The schedule includes nine meets, highlighted by the Conference USA Championships in Memphis, Tenn., on Nov. 1. UCF will be aiming to compete at the NCAA South Region Championships on Nov. 15 in Knoxville, Tenn., and the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 24.
"The schedule was designed to give our runners a chance to prepare for the Conference USA and NCAA Championships. I expect our runners to eclipse their individual bests each time they compete," said Smith Gilbert. "I am excited that our program has the opportunity to host two meets on campus. Hosting the two events will not only give our student-athletes the chance to run at home, but will also create exposure for our team and UCF in the Florida running community."
After opening the season with the two home meets, UCF will head to Gainesville, Fla., for the Mountain Dew Invitational (Sept. 20). The following week, the squad will head to Tallahassee, Fla., for the FSU Invitational.
In October, the Knights are slated to compete in a pair of events in the Sunshine State. The squad will be in action in Titusville on Oct. 4 for the FLrunners.com Invitational. A week later on Oct. 11, UCF will head to nearby Lake Buena Vista for the Disney Classic.
Several of UCF's top performers from a year ago are back in 2008, including seniors Jamie Rzepecki (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) and Kelly McNeill (Coral Springs, Fla./Taravella).
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