River Hawks Travel to Wisconsin for 2024 Pre-Nationals – UMass Lowell Athletics

MADISON, Wis. – After a solid first month and a half of races, the UMass Lowell cross country program sets its sights on the biggest test yet on Saturday, October 19, when they travel to the 2024 Pre-Nationals Invitational at the Zimmer Championship Course at Wisconsin. 

The River Hawks will go toe-to-toe with some of the best programs in the nation on the same course that the 2024 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships will be held, and it is a great way to see where the team stacks up ahead of the America East Championships on Saturday, November 2 at Vermont. 

“It is great to be able to travel to the most competitive meet in the country,” said Head Coach Gary Gardner. “It gives us a chance to truly measure our program against the best.”

The squad started the season with several top performances through the opening six weeks, as both the men and women have each competed in four events. Many of the newcomers have now settled in and acclimated themselves to the collegiate level, while the more experienced runners have been getting crucial reps to prepare for the higher caliber meets that will be taking place throughout the remainder of the season, including Saturday’s. 

At the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh just two weekends ago, Gardner and the team were able to get a first look of the squad’s performance against tough competition, evaluate where they are at and what they need to work on. It served as an important first step at reaching their postseason goals, with the Pre-Nationals being the second step in that journey. 

The student-athletes’ training will be put on display early, starting with the Women’s 6k “A” Race beginning at 11:00 a.m., before the men will take off in the Men’s 8k “A” Race at 11:40 a.m. The women’s 6k “Open” Race goes off at 12:20 p.m., with the men’s 8k “Open” Race following that at 1:00 p.m. The third and final race for each gender cap off the day, as the Women’s 6k “B” Race starts at 1:40 p.m., while the Men’s 8k “B” Race concludes the meet with a 2:20 p.m. start.

“I am excited to see the NCAA Nationals course,” said Gardner. “I am hoping to have some athletes return here in November.”