BOULDER, Colorado (Sept. 22) – The University of Colorado’s cross country teams are set to compete in the 2023 Virginia Invitational in Charlottesville this Saturday, marking their first official meet of the season. You can follow live results and updates from the meeting at PrimeTime Timing.
Colorado Buffs Ranked High in Coaches Poll
As they prepare for the 2023 Virginia Invitational, the women’s team is ranked fifth, and the men’s team is seventh in the USTFCCCA Coaches Poll. The men’s 8K race will commence at 6:45 a.m. MT, followed by the women’s 5K at 7:30 a.m. MT.
The Buffs will face a challenging field, including teams from NAU and Stanford. In total, 24 men’s and 23 women’s teams will participate, featuring eight of the top 15 men’s and nine of the top 15 women’s teams nationally.
The 2023 Virginia Invitational will serve as a preview for the Buffs, as the NCAA Championships will also be held at the Panorama Farms Cross Country Course in November.
Men’s Team Led by Sophomore Isaiah Givens
Sophomore Isaiah Givens will lead a group of 10 men from Colorado. Givens recently placed fifth at the Colorado time trials and was the first Buff to cross the finish line. His teammates Noah Hibbard, James Overberg, and Grady Rauba finished within a second behind him.
Read more: Natalie Cook back in action: Colorado cross country Time Trial results
Women’s Team Features Transfer Samree Dishon
The women’s team will be led by transfer Samree Dishon, who placed first in the opening time trials. She will be joined by Emily Covert, Katie Doucette, and Karrie Baloga, all of whom are expected to be strong competitors.
Hunter Appleton, Caleb Niednagel, Charlie Welch, Paul Stafford, Austin Vancil, and Jake Derouin will also represent the men’s team.
On the women’s side, Karina Andersen, Elliot Pribramsky, and Whitney Valenti complete the lineup. It wasn’t clear if transfer star Natalie Cooke would also be in action this weekend after her transfer from Oklahoma State after last season.
The former Flower Mounds was in action at the Buffaloes’ opening time trials earlier this month.
