Florida State University Athletics
Florida State
UCF Invite
FSU XC Heads to UCF Invite
8/29/2024 2:24:00 PM | Cross Country, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida State cross country teams will open the 2024 season by racing at the UCF Invitational in Orlando, Florida on Friday.
The women's 5k will start at 6:15 p.m., followed by the men's 5k at 6:45 p.m. Live timing will be available.
"I'm beyond excited to kick off the cross country season on Friday, "FSU women's head coach Cody Halsey said. "We've added a ton of new talent who we believe will be immediately impactful. This group combined with our returners is going to be exciting to watch as they grow, compete and succeed together."
The men return Ahmed Ibrahim, who captured All-Region honors in 2023 before contributing to the Noles second place finish at the NCAA South Regional Championship. Ibrahim will be joined by Kidus Misgina who will be running his first XC season at Florida State.
In addition to Ibrahim, Zach Cloud and Matthew Neill, ran at the 2023 NCAA Championships, helping the Seminoles place 27th.
"The UCF Invite will be a great opportunity to test our fitness after a big block of early season training," said assistant coach Ian Frazier. "More than that though, it's a chance to reacquaint ourselves with the habits and routines of race day as we prepare for our higher stakes competitions later in the year. I couldn't be more excited to be with these men during this time."
The women's team returns Rebecca Bergnes and Bieke Schipperen who both made an appearance at the NCAA South Regional Championship in 2023.
Bergnes and Schipperen will be joined by Brooke Mullins who will be entering her first XC season at Florida State, after a stint at Drake University where she competed at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championship. Mullins was the first athlete in program history to qualify for the NCAA National Championship since Ashley Anklam in 2007.
The USTFCCCA released its preseason polls on Monday. The men were listed fourth in the South Region, while the women were selected eighth.
The ACC also released its order of finish on Tuesday. The women were selected 11th in the league (131), while the men were chosen eighth (153).
For more information on Florida State cross country, follow Twitter @FSU_Track and Instagram @FSU_Track.
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