Sept. 25, 2014 WACO, Texas - For the first time this season, the Baylor women's cross country team will have all of its top runners in action as the Lady Bears compete in the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday in Saint Paul, Minn.
Saint Paul's Les Bolstad Golf Course will serve as the site for the six-kilometer race that begins at 1:10 p.m. (CT). This year's event is the 29th running of the Roy Griak Invitational, which is hosted by the University of Minnesota.
"We have put in some good work and this group of ladies is really ready to see where we are at for the first time this season," head coach Todd Harbour said. "Griak has always been a good meet for us and we are looking forward to the challenge that it will present this weekend."
Eleven runners are slated to be action for the Lady Bears including Courtney Cox, Alex Davis, Ann-Marie Dunlap, Katie Grovatt, Rachel Johnson, Mariah Kelly, Maggie Montoya, Sofia Pitouli, Bree Schrader, Peyton Thomas and Maddie Zimmerman.
The Baylor women are receiving votes in the national coaches' top 30 poll and are ranked No. 3 in the South Central region. At their last meet out, the women placed second at the Texas A&M Invitational with Montoya, Davis, Dunlap, Thomas and Kelly recording scoring performances.
It will be the season debut for senior Rachel Johnson, who is coming off All-Big 12 and All-Region performances in 2013.
"Rachel is in as phenomenal shape and she is very much looking forward to racing this field," Harbour said.
Included in the field are the NCAA Outdoor champion in the 1,500 meters, the steeplechase and the 10,000 meters.
Other schools competing at the event include Arizona State, Boise State, Butler, BYU, Cal Berkley, Central Michigan, Colorado State, Drake, Grand Valley State, Illinois, Illinois State, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Lehigh, Marquette, Miami (Ohio), Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Naval Academy, Nebraska, Nevada Reno, North Carolina, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Southern Utah, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Arlington, UMKC, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Weber State.
The nationally ranked women's teams in the field of 36 schools include No. 3 Michigan State, ninth-ranked Iowa State, No. 11 Butler, No. 20 Boise State, 22nd-ranked Vanderbilt, No. 28 Minnesota and 30th-ranked North Carolina.
Baylor will have a chance to see how it stacks up versus three Big 12 teams, Iowa State, Kansas and Texas, as well as three South Central Region teams Texas, Texas A&M and UT Arlington,
Baylor last competed at the Roy Griak Invitational in 2012 with the women tying for eighth-place. Rachel Johnson and Erin Hegarty placed 14th and 27th, respectively, to pace the Lady Bears.
BU's men's squad has the weekend off, before returning to action along with the women at Oct. 4's Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark.
For the latest information on the Baylor track team, follow the team on Twitter: @BaylorTrack.
