Cross Country Hosts Bear Twilight Invitational

Cross Country Hosts Bear Twilight Invitational

8/30/2018 5:14:00 PM | Cross Country

Season opener will take place at the HOT Soccer Complex for the eighth consecutive year.

WACO, Texas – Baylor cross country will open the season at home for the 16th consecutive season by hosting the annual Bear Twilight Invitational at the Heart of Texas Soccer Complex in Waco Friday evening.

"I'm really excited to just kind of let them go," associate head coach Jon Capron said. "We've been holding the reins on them a lot these first couple of weeks. I'm excited to see what they can do when they're full-tilt."

The event is set to begin at 7 p.m. CT with the women's 4K race, followed shortly after by the men's 6K race. It is the eighth consecutive year for the Bears to host the season opener at the HOT Soccer Complex, located on the northwest side of Lake Waco near the Waco Regional Airport at 6101 Airport Road, Waco, Texas, 76708.

"We've been doing a lot of tempo work," Capron added. "Just everything kind of measured, and I really haven't just let it go. So, I'm really excited to see just how fast they can go, truthfully, at least one lap."

The Baylor women's team ranks fourth in the south region, while the men hold the No. 12 spot in the region.

At the Bear Twilight, the women's team will go up against four teams in the top-15 of the regional rankings, including SMU (No. 3), TCU (No. 6), Texas State (No. 8), and North Texas (No. 15), as well as Incarnate Word and UTA.

The men will face off with Texas State (No. 7), Incarnate Word (No.9), North Texas (No. 10), TCU and UTA.

Eleven returnees are competing in the season opener for the women's team, including Alison Andrews-Paul, Sarah Antrich, Emily Curran, Haley Everroad, Sydney Gandy, Brooke Gilmore, Isabella Lackner, Hana Marsheck, Katy Parsons, Megan Rule, and Lindsay Walton. Gilmore and Antrich scored for the Bears at both the 2017 Big 12 Championship and the NCAA South Central Regional.

Three freshmen are slated to make their debuts for the women's team (Celia Holmes, Jamie Holodak, and Mazie Larsen).

Matt Henderson, Henry Huff, Jeff Kirwin, Connor Laktasic, Sean McCullough, Jeremy Meadows, and TJ Sugg all return for the men's team and are slated to compete at the Bear Twilight. Sugg scored for the Bears at the 2017 Big 12 Championship, and competed at the NCAA South Central Regional along with Meadows.

Two freshmen (Cal Johnston and J.B. Sandlund) will be competing for Baylor in their first collegiate meet. Two freshmen (Alec Atteberry and Jake Merrell) will run unattached. Sandlund is a sophomore on the Bears' track & field team.

The Bear Twilight is the only home meet of the season for Baylor. Next up for the Bears is the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational, which will take place next Friday (Sept. 7) at Lynn Creek Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

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