Florida State University Athletics
Men Anticipating Duel With Hokies On ACC Course
9/19/2019 4:05:01 PM | Cross Country, General, Men's Cross Country
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Florida State men’s cross country team returns to action for the first time in three weeks Friday, competing at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational on the same Buford Meredith course where the ACC Championships will be contested Nov. 1.
Both the men’s and women’s squads were scheduled to compete for the first time since sweeping the Aug. 31 Covered Bridge Open, but the 18th-ranked FSU women will not make it to the starting line. Mechanical issues grounded their Thursday morning flight in Tallahassee and there were no other suitable travel options.
That leaves the Seminole men, who traveled separately, to represent against in an eight-team field. FSU coach Bob Braman intends to roll out a complete lineup for the first time this season when the Noles tangle with the host Hokies and fellow ACC foes Clemson and Miami.
“It will look a lot like it did in 2012 at this meet, where it was virtually a dual meet with Virginia Tech and it gets really, really competitive in the last mile,” Braman said. “They’re going to pound it up the hill, we’re going to pound it down the hill and we’re going to try and take blood in the chute.”
This marks the fifth time in eight years the Noles have competed on the Hokies’ home course early in the season. FSU enters the meet ranked No. 2 in the South Region and just outside the top 30 nationally.
“One of the years when we lined up with them and it was a contest to see who could go out the slowest, and boy did that last 3k get competitive,” Braman said. “We expect that.”
Virginia Tech, ranked No. 4 in the Southeast Region, is led by senior and reigning ACC champion Peter Seufer. The Hokies return their top six runners from last year’s ACC Championship meet, when they finished sixth, three points and one position in front of the Noles.
Graduate transfer Kasey Knevelbaard, who won the Covered Bridge season-opener, will get a chance to measure himself against ACC competition for the first time. He will be joined by 2018 All-ACC performer Caleb Pottorff.
Friday’s 8,000-meter race will mark the season debuts of veterans Steven Cross, Paul Stafford, Matthew Newland and transfer Silas Griffith. Tyler Dau, Bert Freire and Jacob Holmes all finished in the top-10 at the opener.
“I think we’re ready to run well,” Braman said. “We’re going to want to run a good time, but we’re also not going to go out and take big risks early in the race. That’s two weeks down the road at Notre Dame.
“We’re going to run it like we always do; self-controlled early and be prepared to do battle in the second half of the race with a really good Virginia Tech team. They beat us by three points last year at the conference meet and I’m sure they feel like they’re better than that. I know we’re better than that.”