Teams From 13 States To Compete At AAE Invitational
UW-Oshkosh will host the AAE Invitational – one of the premiere NCAA Division III cross country meets in the nation – this Saturday (Oct. 17) at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne.
The event features representation from 61 schools, including five that have both their men’s and women’s programs ranked in the top 35 of the Division III by the U. S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The competing teams hail from 13 states – Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Unlike past years, Saturday’s AAE (Aluminum Athletic Equipment) Invitational will be comprised of four races, beginning with men’s and women’s races for Division III competitors only. A total of 48 women’s teams and 47 men’s squads will enter up to 10 runners in both of those races.
Another set of races will follow the Division III competition. The additional races will feature men and women from other divisions and associations as well those runners not participating in the first two races.
The 6,000-kilometer Division III women’s race starts the competition at 10:30 a.m. It will be followed by the 8,000-kilometer Division III men’s race at 11:15 a.m. The women will have another race at noon and the men at 12:45 p.m.
Admission is $5 (free for ages 5 and under) for the roundtrip, three-mile shuttle between Winneconne High School (100 Wolf Run) and the Lake Breeze Golf Club (6333 Ball Prairie Road). There will be no spectator parking at the Lake Breeze Golf Club. The shuttle service begins at 8 a.m. and concludes at 3:30 p.m.
Ranked 14th, UW-Oshkosh is among 14 nationally ranked men’s teams competing on Saturday. The others are top-ranked UW-Eau Claire, third-ranked North Central College (Ill.), fifth-ranked Washington University (Mo.), 11th-ranked Wabash College (Ind.), 13th-ranked St. Lawrence University (N.Y.), 21st-ranked Wartburg College (Iowa), 23rd-ranked Augustana College (Ill.), 25th-ranked UW-Platteville, 26th-ranked Loras College (Iowa), 27th-ranked John Carroll University (Ohio), 32nd-ranked Central College (Iowa), 33rd-ranked Willamette University (Ore.) and 34th-ranked Calvin College (Mich.).
North Central College won last year’s AAE Invitational title with 36 points. The Cardinals, who went on capture the 2014 Division III championship, were followed by Division II Grand Valley State University (Mich.) with 69 points and UW-Eau Claire with 140.
UW-Oshkosh finished 10th in last year’s 45-team AAE Invitational. The Titans’ Jordan Carpenter returns after placing fourth a year ago.
Alan Peterson of Grand Valley State University won last year’s 664-runner race with an 8,000-kilometer time of 24:32. North Central College’s Troy Kelleher finished second with a time of 24:35 and Division II UW-Parkside’s Evan Lewandowski third in 24:39.
Twelve nationally ranked teams will compete in the women’s Division III version of this year’s AAE Invitational. UW-Oshkosh will face fifth-ranked Washington University, ninth-ranked St. Lawrence University, 10th-ranked Hope College (Mich.), 13th-ranked University of Chicago (Ill.), 14th-ranked Willamette University, 15th-ranked Otterbein University (Ohio), 16th-ranked Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.), 22nd-ranked St. Olaf College (Minn.), 24th-ranked Calvin College, 26th-ranked UW-Eau Claire, 27th-ranked Emory University (Ga.) and 30th-ranked University of St. Thomas (Minn.).
Grand Valley State University claimed last year’s women’s title with 40 points before going on to win its third straight Division II championship. The Lakers were closely followed by Division II University of Minnesota-Duluth with 98 points and eventual Division III champion Johns Hopkins University (Md.) with 106.
UW-Oshkosh placed 17th in last year’s 42-team AAE Invitational. The Titans’ Hannah Kuenzi is back after finishing 53rd a year ago.
Lucy Cheadle of Washington University won last year’s 559-runner race with a 6,000-kilometer time of 20:44. Johns Hopkins University’s Sophia Meehan finished second with a time of 20:56 and University of Minnesota Duluth’s Samantha Rivard third in 20:58.
The Lake Breeze Golf will also host two other major collegiate cross country meets this fall – the WIAC Championship on Oct. 31 and the NCAA Division III Championship on Nov. 21.