Florida Cross Country Heads to the Pre-Nationals

With three meets behind them, the Florida Cross Country men’s and women’s teams are headed to Indiana for the 2016 NCAA Pre-Nationals.

Looking Back

Though unranked, Florida has shown they are contenders this season. Both teams placed in first at their first two meets of the season. At the Covered Bridge Open, the men placed in first with 46 points while the women did so with 28. Three weeks later, the Gators did it again in front of their fans in Gainesville at the Mountain Dew Invitational. The men’s team ran for 22 points and the women’s side left with 30.

The Paul Short Run marked the first time neither Gator team placed first this season. Senior Taylor Tubbs and freshman Jessica Pascoe did finish in the top-10 for the women’s team, who placed in 5th place. The men’s team ran for 12th place, with senior Carlos Miranda leading the team with a 13th place individual finish.

.@GatorXC praises @CarlosM1500 for achieving his longtime goal of breaking 24 minutes

— Gators T & F and XC (@GatorsTF) October 10, 2016

The Pre-Nationals

Even after facing a few ranked teams during their last meet, the Pre-Nationals could be Florida’s biggest challenge so far. The men’s team will run against 62 other teams, while the women’s team will run against 69. Of the 62 teams, the men will run next to four of the top ten teams. Four of the top-ten teams will run with the Gator women’s team as well.

For assistant coach Paul Spangler, this weekend’s meet will show his team where they stand in the nation.

Taylor Tubbs looks to be the most consistent runner for the Gator women’s team. Tubbs has placed somewhere in the top-10 spots in all three of Florida’s meets this season: 2nd in the Covered Bridge Open, 7th in the Mountain Dew Invitational, and 7th in the Paul Short Run.

"She does the little things right. That's why she's consistent." —@GatorXC on the success of @taylortubbs the past three seasons

— Gators T & F and XC (@GatorsTF) October 10, 2016

For the men’s team, it’s Carlos Miranda who has placed the highest this season. Miranda ran for first at the Mountain Dew Invitational and second at the Covered Bridge Open.

This Saturday the Gators will face schools like Oregon, whose fourth-ranked men’s team has placed first in both of their meets this season. Oregon’s ninth-ranked women’s team placed first in their first meet and second in their last one.

Spangler doesn’t seem too concerned though, and credits the two week break since their last meet as a time of great preparation for the Pre-Nationals.

The women’s team runs a 6,000 meter race first at 11 a.m., followed by the men’s 8,000 meter  race at 11:35.