FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (August 31, 2018) – The Northern Arizona University cross country teams will begin its 2018 season with the running of the 38th annual George Kyte Classic this Saturday at Flagstaff's Buffalo Park. The event will begin with the men's 4.5 mile race at 1:30 p.m. and will be followed by the women's 2.6 mile course at 2:30 p.m.
The men's team is looking for its seventh-straight win in the event, while the women's side will be looking to defend their top finish from 2017.
The Lumberjacks enter 2018 with high expectations not only locally but on the national level as well. The men were selected by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as the No. 1 team in not only the Mountain Region, but in the entire nation after the team won back-to-back National Championships in 2016 and 2017. The women's team was selected as the No. 8 team in the region, while also being projected to finish second in the Big Sky Conference.
"We are excited to kick off the 2018 cross country season," Director of Cross Country and Track & Field
Michael Smith said. "The George Kyte Classic is always a special opportunity to compete in front of our NAU and local community. This is the only chance we get to perform live for the Flagstaff community so it is a very important meet for us."
The men's side will be returning five runners who also competed in the 2017 George Kyte Classic composing of
Matt Baxter,
Geordie Beamish,
Tyler Day,
Kyle Havriliak and
Peter Lomong. The men will also have
Joey DeFeo, 2017 Big Sky Male Freshman of the Year
Luis Grijalva,
Ryan Lanley and transfer runner
Aldo Marquez running in the event.
The women will be fielding a much different lineup than last year.
Shannon Molvin will be the only female runner returning that competed in the 2017 event.
Hannah Behunin,
Maggie Carruth,
Pipi Eitel,
Jessa Hanson,
Jenna McCaffrey,
Kenzie Penca,
Delaney Rasmussen and
Zoe Wall will all be participating as well and competing in their first George Kyte Classic attached to NAU.
NAU's opponents will include the men's and women's teams from the University of Arizona, Grand Canyon University, Benedictine University Mesa, Embry-Riddle Arizona, Estrella Mountain CC, Glendale CC, Mesa CC, Pima CC and Ottawa University Arizona.
The meet is named for the late Dr. George Kyte, Professor Emeritus of history at Northern Arizona. Dr. Kyte was a longtime supporter of Lumberjack Athletics, with a particular interest in the track & field and cross country programs at NAU. The event was ran with Dr. Kyte in attendance until his passing in 2004.
