St. John's University Athletics
Head Coach Jim Hurt Releases 2015 Cross Country Schedule
8/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's cross country and track & field head coach Jim Hurt announced the 2015 Cross Country schedule as he heads into his 27th year at the helm.
The 2015 calendar highlights several trips to the iconic Van Cortlandt Park, which is deemed the "Mecca of American Cross Country," and a return to historic Franklin Park in Boston after a six-year absence.
"We are looking forward to a strong cross country season and our schedule will test us against the top teams in the nation on some of the best cross country venues in the country," said Hurt.
On Saturday, Sept. 12, the season opens at the 21st annual Monmouth Invite in Holmdel Park, N.J. Holmdel Park is a 5K course featuring a mostly hilly terrain of all grass.
For the second weekend of competition, the Red Storm will travel up to Boston's historic Franklin Park for the third annual Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown (Boston College Invitational). The Red Storm have the chance to compete against national competition at the 5K course in their first appearance at the BC Invite. Last year's lineup included teams such as Michigan, Syracuse and Duke.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, St. John's opens up its busiest month of the season with a second-straight appearance at the Princeton Invite in Princeton, N.J. The following weekend the Red Storm travels to Van Cortlandt Park, a "home away from home," in the Bronx, N.Y., for the Metropolitan Championships on Friday, Oct. 9. This is the team's first championship event of the season, as they will look to improve on a 7th place finish from last year.
The Red Storm will then host the St. John's Cross Country Fall Festival at Cunningham Park in Queens, N.Y., on Sunday, Oct. 18. This is the first time the event has been held since 2012 and it is surely welcomed back by alumni, fans and friends of the St. John's cross country program as a warm celebration of the program.
St. John's then travels to Cincinnati, Ohio, for the 2015 BIG EAST Cross Country Championships hosted by Xavier. The race is set for Friday, Oct. 30 and features some of the most-talented squads in the nation including a Georgetown team that finished fourth in the NCAA Championships in 2014.
As the season moves into November, the Red Storm closes out the 2015 campaign with a trio of championships meets. On Friday, Nov. 13 St. John's returns to Franklin Park in Boston for the NCAA Northeast Regional. This event serves as a qualifier for the NCAA Championships set for Saturday, Nov. 22 in Louisville, Ky., at Tom Sawyer Park. Barring any qualifications for the NCAAs, the last event on the season is set for Saturday, Nov. 22 as the ECAC Championships take place in Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, N.Y.
"This schedule is challenging and should have us running our best in the Championship meets at the end of the season," said Hurt. Last year the Red Storm ended the season successfully with a couple of strong finishes at the ECAC Championships from rising sophomore Izzi Batt-Doyle, who finished fourth out of 170 competitors, and the twin Van Pelt sisters, Stephanie and Michelle, who finished 23rd and 88th respectively. This trio looks to lead the entire Red Storm squad to a successful 2015 campaign.
Keep up to date on all St. John's cross country news by following on Twitter @StJohnsXCTF and by using the hashtag #stjohnsxc. To be added to the St. John's women's cross country fans e-mail list send a message to Adam.mcKillop15@stjohns.edu with the subject: "St. John's women's XC e-mail."
Players Mentioned
