Raiders to compete in Powerade Invitational

Friday, September 11

Chattanooga, Tenn.

5 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

PowerAde Invitational

9/10/2015 6:19:00 PM | Track & Field/Cross Country

By: @MTAthletics

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After a successful opening meet in Nashville last week, the Middle Tennessee cross country teams look to continue their improvement at this week's UTC PowerAde Invitational in Chattanooga, Tenn., at the Moccasin Bend Course Friday.

Middle Tennessee will be joined by Alabama A&M (women only), Austin Peay, Chattanooga, Georgia State (women only), Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State and Tennessee State.

The women's teams are slated to start competition with a two-mile race, with the men's 5K to follow.

The Blue Raider women's squad enters the meet ranked 10^th in the USTFCCCA South Region preseason rankings, one spot lower than where they finished in 2014.

On the men's side, the Raiders are exactly where they finished in 2014, fourth, and are only behind Ole Miss, Florida State and Florida.

At the Belmont Opener last Saturday, the MT men's squad saw the return of Eliud Rutto, who missed the entire 2014-15 season. Rutto claimed the fourth spot (15:26.4) and helped MT claim its first team victory of 2015.

Hillary Rono led Middle Tennessee with his 15:19.7 time on the 5K course, while newcomer Kigen Chemadi finished sixth (15:30.5). Sophomore Amos Cheruiyot claimed a 10th-place finish, while Alden Dixon rounded out the scoring group for MT, finishing 23rd.

MT was without 2014 Conference USA Championship fourth-place finisher Shadrack Matelong and Geoffrey Cheruiyot.

For the Blue Raider women, Gladys David finished fifth (17:49.1) and was one-of-three MT runners to place in the top 10.

Josephine Kiptebeny finished eighth (17:49.1), while Maina claimed 10^th (17:56.6). Maina, a 2014 NCAA Championship participant, finished second at the 2014 C-USA Cross Country Championships.

The races will start at 5:45 p.m. with the women's two-mile and the men's 5K race to follow.