MADISON, Wis. – Stanford gets a preview of the NCAA cross country course and competes against some of the best teams in the country when it runs Saturday at the Wisconsin Pre-National Invitational on Thomas Zimmer Championship Course.
The meet indicates the Cardinal, and the rest of the country, are beginning to rev up for the postseason. This is the last weekend of competition before the Pac-12 (Oct. 26, Stanford Golf Course), West Region (Nov. 9, Sacramento) and NCAA (Nov. 17, Madison) meets.
Reigning Pac-12 champion Grant Fisher leads the Stanford men and 11-time All-America Elise Cranny leads the Stanford women. The format splits the teams into two equal-quality races in each of the men's and women's divisions. The Stanford women are in the White Race (8:45 a.m. PT) and the men are in the Cardinal Race (9:30 a.m. PT).
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Meet information:
Pre-National Invitational
When: Saturday
Where: Madison, Wis.
Site: Thomas Zimmer Championship Course.
Schedule:
Women (6K, White Race), 8:45 a.m. PT
Men (8K, Cardinal Race), 9:30 a.m. PT
Meet Web site: Click here.
Forecast: Partly sunny, temperatures in the low- to mid-40s.
Follow the action:
Live results: Click here.
Flotrack premium livestream: Click here.
Twitter: @stanfordxctf
Stanford in USTFCCCA rankings:
Men - No. 5
Women - No. 5
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Stanford competitors:
Men: Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau, Callum Bolger, Tai Dinger, Grant Fisher, Alex Ostberg, Alek Parsons, DJ Principe, Michael Vernau.
Women: Caitlin Collier, Elise Cranny, Julia Heymach, Jessica Lawson, Hannah Long, Fiona O'Keeffe, Jordan Oakes, Rebecca Story.
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Ranked teams competing in Stanford's races:
Men: No. 1 Northern Arizona, No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 5 Stanford, No. 9 Colorado State, No. 11 Colorado, No. 13 Oregon, No. 15 Southern Utah, No. 20 Michigan, No. 22 Ole Miss, No. 26 North Carolina State.
Women: No. 3 New Mexico, No. 5 Stanford, No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 10 Michigan, No. 12 Furman, No. 16 Washington, No. 20 Utah State, No. 22 Notre Dame, No. 24 Yale, No. 28 Georgia.
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Men
Race preview: Three of the nation's top five ranked teams and seven of the top 15 compete in Stanford's Cardinal Race. No. 1 Northern Arizona, the two-time defending NCAA champion, and No. 3 Wisconsin join No. 5 Stanford among teams expected to contend at both Pre-Nats and at NCAA's. The individual race could come down to an assortment of NCAA contenders: Northern Arizona's Matthew Baxter and Tyler Day, Wisconsin's Morgan McDonald, Colorado's Joe Klecker, and Fisher.
Stanford breakdown: Fisher is scheduled to make his season debut and teammate Alex Ostberg also is a returning cross country All-American. Freshman Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau is set to make his collegiate debut. Fisher, Ostberg, Callum Bolger, Tai Dinger, and Alek Parsons all have experience on this course, as part of the Stanford team that placed fourth at Wisco last year.
Stanford history at Thomas Zimmer: Stanford ran this course in the Wisconsin Invitational five times since 2009, including last year when Fisher placed second. In 2016, Stanford was second to Northern Arizona and the results were duplicated at the NCAA Championships. Stanford won at Wisco in 2012 and Maksim Korolev won the 2014 individual race. This is the first time the Stanford men have raced at the Pre-Nationals, which always are on the same course as the NCAA meet, since 2013. This is the first Pre-Nats meet in Madison.
Women
Race preview: Defending NCAA champion New Mexico and No. 5 Stanford are the top-ranked teams in the White Race, with No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 10 Michigan also among the nation's top 10. Reigning NCAA champ Ednah Kurgat of New Mexico and Washington's Katie Rainsberger join Stanford's Elise Cranny and Fiona O'Keeffe among the individual contenders.
Stanford breakdown: This is Cranny's last season in a Stanford uniform and she appears to be at peak levels. O'Keeffe should race against her sister, Washington freshman Olivia O'Keeffe.
Stanford history at Thomas Zimmer: Stanford was eighth last year at the Wisconsin Invitational with a team that included O'Keeffe, Julia Heymach, Jessica Lawson, and Jordan Oakes. Stanford competed four times at the Wisco Invite, beginning in 2011. Its best performances have been second as a team and fifth as an individual (Kathy Kroeger), both in 2012.
