This coming weekend, Chicago is making its way to “Cheese Country” to compete in the Brooks Invitational hosted by UW–Oshkosh on Saturday. After hours of grueling training each day since the team began practices in early August, both the men’s and women’s teams are eager to see if their hard work has paid off.
The squad is especially excited because of the level of competition that will be present at this upcoming event in Wisconsin. Third-year Michael Frasco of the men’s team said, “There will be 14 of the top 35 teams in the country on the starting line. We are very excited to see how many ranked teams we can knock off.”
The men’s team finished in 6th place out of 16 teams last weekend at the UW–Parkside “Lucian Rosa” Invite but looks to repeat their early season success that culminated in a pair of second-place finishes. The Brooks Invitational will surely provide a test for The Maroons and aid in determining exactly what level the team is capable of competing at on both the regional and national level.
UW–Oshkosh will also be the location of this year’s national championship, which provides the team with a taste of what could come later on in November. Second-year Cassidy McPherson said, “Practices have been looking solid on both sides so I am really confident in how we can do if we can put it all together in the races.”
This is certainly an opportunity the Maroons can take advantage of to make this season a historical one, and the practices have proven their dedication to this feat.
The women’s team specifically will be participating in the 6K, which includes over 470 competitors in total. Fourth-year Catt Young said, “Our ultimate goal is to win the meet, which I think is very realistic based on our current fitness level and mentality.”
Young also commented on the fact that Wash U, which is currently the top-ranked team in the UAA as well as the entire country, will be present at this meet. The Maroons, though, are currently ranked 13th in the nation at the DIII level and are excited to continue the great success they have become accustomed to this season. The women’s team finished fourth of 16 teams at the UW–Parkside “Lucian Rosa” Invite last Saturday and had an impressive first place finish at the Illinois Intercollegiate meet on October 2.
It is obvious that both the men’s and women’s teams have the components and enthusiasm to make a mark among the top teams in the country, but it is time to put their skills to the test. The UW–Oshkosh campus itself is just over three hours away, which leaves the cross country team with ample time to mentally prepare for the race without the added pressure of a long bus trip. The meet will commence at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
