Ags looking to defend title
The only two teams in the USU athletic department to win a Western Athletic Conference title last season are looking to do it again Saturday.
The cross country races will be held at 9 a.m. at the American West Heritage Center in Wellsville. The men’s 8k race will begin at 9 a.m., and the women’s 5k race will begin at 9:45 a.m. Admission is free.
This will mark the first time Utah State has ever hosted the event.
“I am up to my ears with setting this up, but we are real excited,” USU Head Coach Gregg Gensel said. He was setting up the course that will be run Saturday.
Even though Utah State will be hosting the tournament, Gensel said his runners will be treating this like any other competition.
They will have the same routine as though they were on the road, he said. They will eat the same food they usually eat. They will all go to the course at a certain time together.
The only big difference, Gensel said, will be that the runners will all get to sleep in their own beds instead of a hotel. Gensel believes those little details are just of the built-in advantages that come with hosting the tournament.
“All the little deals that are part of built in advantages add up to a big deal,” he said.
He said he wants to have a fair race, so all the other schools competing in the tournament will have their chance to run the course on Friday.
Boise State, Fresno State, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State and San Jose State will all be taking part Saturday.
Gensel said he doesn’t know what to expect from the men’s side on Saturday because he doesn’t know how strong the other schools will be. He did say he knew a couple of the men that will be competing Saturday have had good finishes individually, but he is not sure how strong the teams as a whole are.
As for the women’s race, Gensel said the race is going to be a battle.
The competition for Utah State will include Hawai’i, Fresno State, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, New Mexico State and San Jose State. For Utah State, both the men and the women are defending champions of the WAC Championships.
“We have a real good team this year,” Gensel said.
-jake.ipson@aggiemail.usu.edu