Gators Lacing Up Their Running Shoes for the Mountain Dew Invitational

The University of Florida cross country team will be lacing up their running shoes this weekend to compete in the Mountain Dew Invitational. The event is this Saturday morning at the Mark Bostick Golf Course and will feature local high schools and collegiate teams. The Gators will be playing host to many Florida universities, including rivals Florida State and Miami.

The Gators have only competed in one other meet so far this year—the Covered Bridge Open—placing first in both the men’s and women’s competitions. The men’s side registered three of the top ten runners in the Covered Bridge Open. The women’s side dominated the meet, with all of their scored runners placing in the top ten. Both sides will look to continue their success this weekend in the Mountain Dew Invitational.

8️⃣ combined top-10 finishes
3️⃣ improvements of 2️⃣8️⃣ seconds from last year

Solid season opener #GoGatorshttps://t.co/UCosiuqoJP

— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) September 3, 2016

Another big story going into the Mountain Dew Invitational is redshirt sophomore Paige Scheriger competing in her first cross country meet. With continual improvements during practice, cross country assistant head coach Paul Spangler gave her the nod to run this weekend. Scheriger was previously on the Gator swim team for two years before deciding to switch sports. Spangler believes that the addition of Scheriger on the roster motivates the rest of the girls.

The Gators will also look to defend their home turf this weekend as they hope for continued success in the Mountain Dew Invitational. The women’s side has placed first in the meet for the last two consecutive years, with the men’s last first place finish coming three years ago. Collectively, the Gators will look to win their fifth consecutive Mountain Dew Invitational.