For the past four years, the men's and women's cross country teams have won their first meet, and this year looks to be no different.
After placing 17th at the NCAA Championship in November, the No. 14 UF women's cross country team begins the season tonight at the Mountain Dew Invitational.
"Of course there are some expectations on the women's team," coach Todd Morgan said. "But we haven't even done anything yet. We haven't even run one race."
Sophomore Genevieve LaCaze, who won the invitational last year, said the new freshmen and graduate student Stacey Johnson have added a new level to the women's team.
"We know deep down that we have a truly great team," said LaCaze, the 2008 SEC Freshman of the Year. "We have many returning athletes and a couple great new additions to the team."
While many of the women returned this season, the unranked men's team, which missed the cut for the NCAA Championship last season, will run in its first meet without All-American Jeremy Criscione, who used his fourth year of cross country eligibility last season.
Even though there are 12 underclassmen on the men's roster, senior Justin Taylor said some of the athletes are stepping up to fill the shoes of Criscione.
"The older guys on the team are trying to set examples for the younger ones," Taylor said. "For the last two years, we have been the first team out of the race to nationals, and it has been devastating. We sat down with the freshmen last week and told them all of this."
Before the UF teams run, high school students from Florida will run 5,000 meters beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Morgan said having high school runners at the meet will allow the teenagers to see what cross country is like at the next level.
The women's team will run its 5K at 6:30 tonight and the men's team will run its 8K at 7 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
"It's our first meet, and it will be a good way to kick the season off," Morgan said. "This meet is definitely going to affect my decision on who I will run in two weeks at Notre Dame."
Both the men's and women's teams will travel to South Bend, Ind., for the Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 2. The invitational will be the first meet where teams can earn points for at-large bids for the NCAA Championship.
