Louisville Men’s Cross Country Earns Preseason National Ranking

The Cardinal men checked in at No. 20 nationally in the USTFCCCA’s preseason poll.

 

August 31, 2011

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville men’s cross country team has received national recognition, earning the No. 20 ranking in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s preseason poll, the New Orleans-based organization announced Aug. 30.

 

Louisville is one of four BIG EAST teams ranked in the top 20, checking in ahead of league foes Georgetown (No. 22), Notre Dame (No. 23) and intrastate rival Kentucky.

 

The Cardinals head into the 2011 season returning all but one of its letterwinners from the 2010 campaign in which Louisville earned a team bid to the national championships for the fourth time in the last five years. Prior to the national championships, the Cardinal men won one team competition and finished runner-up in three meets, including the BIG EAST Championships. In Syracuse, three Cardinals, including current student-athletes Matt Hughes and Tyler Byrne, earned all-league honors. Hughes also earned all-region honors at the NCAA Southeast Regional.

 

At the regional level, the men’s team earned the No. 2 ranking in the southeast.

 

The Cardinal men and women open the season on Saturday, Sept. 3, in Evansville, Ind., at the Mid-America Opener. Last year, the men’s squad placed second, with Byrne finishing seventh individually. On the women’s side, the Cardinals won the team competition. Cassie Martin finished seventh, and Ariel Briggs recorded an eighth-place showing.

 

For all of the latest information on Louisville cross country and track and field, log on to UofLsports.com, or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account at www.twitter.com/louisvilletrack.

 

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For More Information, Contact:

Ira Green, (502) 852-4857

Ira.Green@louisville.edu