The Stanford men’s and women’s cross country teams will kick off their full-squad seasons on Saturday, staying on the Farm to entertain a home crowd at the Stanford Invitational.
The No. 1 men’s team, which obliterated the competition in last year’s meet by sweeping first through fifth place, will be favored again this year. This time, however, it will not be as easy.
No. 4 Northern Arizona, led by senior David McNeill, will be the toughest test for the Cardinal and will pose a legitimate threat to steal an early-season victory. McNeill finished second at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships and is entering his final campaign as a frontrunner for a national title.
Stanford has two stars of its own in junior Chris Derrick and senior Elliott Heath. Derrick was the overall winner at the 2009 Stanford Invitational and finished just behind McNeill for third place at nationals. Joining the two is a slew of talented runners, including three additional track All-Americans: redshirt juniors Jake Riley and J.T. Sullivan and redshirt sophomore Dylan Ferris.
The No. 13 women are also looking to recapture the magic of last year’s competition. The Cardinal was absolutely dominant in its race last season, notching 24 points compared to runner-up Cal’s 100.
Nearly all of last season’s scorers return to a team that is looking to improve upon a disappointing finish at the NCAA Championships. Sophomore Kathy Kroeger, an All-American in track, finished in third place overall in the 2009 meet. Redshirt junior Steph Marcy, another track All-American, returns to the Stanford Golf Course after a ninth-place finish.
Sophomore Alex Dunne and senior Alex Gits, who finished sixth and seventh respectively at last year’s race, round out the top of a very impressive women’s team that has now gone two years without a national title after winning the award in three consecutive seasons.
The Stanford Invitational kicks off on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Stanford Golf Course. The men’s 8,000-meter collegiate race will begin at 10:50 a.m., followed by the women’s 6,000-meter competition at 11:30 a.m.