LSU cross country teams hosting own meet Friday

September 21, 2022 Tiger Rag News Services LSU athletics, Track & Field 0

Sophomore Lorena Rangel was LSU's top finisher in Friday's SEC Cross Country Championships in 17th place . FILE PHOTO BY: LSU athletics.

The LSU cross country team will play host on Friday to the LSU Invitational at the University Club.

The event begins at 8:15 a.m. with the men’s 6K race, followed by the women’s 5K competition at 9 a.m. Schools participating in the invitational include LSU, Alcorn State, Dillard, Nicholls, Southeastern Louisiana, Southern, Texas A&M-Texarkana and Xavier (La.).

The meet represents the second this fall for LSU, which began the season at the UNO Opener in New Orleans on September 2. LSU won the women’s 4K competition at UNO, while the Tiger men placed second in their 5K race.

“We are really looking forward to hosting the LSU Invitational again this year,” LSU cross country coach Houston Franks said. “This will be the third year that we have hosted at the University Club golf course, and it has provided a great course for both the athletes and the spectators. We’re coming off a couple of ‘off’ weekends and have gotten in a good block of training and look forward to toeing the line again this week.”

The LSU women were led at the UNO Opener by sophomore Lorena Rangel, who finished second individually with a 4K time of 13:16.91. Rangel joined LSU teammates Ella Chesnut (7^th place, 13:46.24), Callie Hardy (8^th place, 13:51.84) and Sophie Martin (10^th place, 13:58.76) in the Top 10.

Finishing just outside of the women’s Top 10 for Tigers were Gwyneth Hughes (11^th place, 14:04.80) and Montana Monk (12^th place, 14:05.89).

The LSU men were paced at UNO by senior Jackson Martingayle, who recorded a fifth-place finish (15:01.15). Martingayle was joined in the Top 10 by junior Will Dart (9^th place, 15:13.93).

The Tigers finishing near the men’s Top 10 were Evan Pardo (11th place, 15:17.57), Cade Martin (12th place, 15:26.37) and Jack Wallace (14th place, 15:33.40).

“Going into this meet we are really hoping to work on our teamwork and running certain parts of the races in a good team pack,” Franks said. “There are going to be some good teams and really good individuals scheduled to race, so I’m excited to use this meet to really help us get ready for some big, high profile meets coming up on the schedule.

“I really want to see us execute some good race tactics and compete with a lot of toughness.”