Preparation to be tested at season's 2nd race

Friday, September 24

Minneapolis, Minn.

10:30 A.M.

Grand Canyon

Roy Griak Invitational

Photo by: Sam Kuzminski

9/23/2021 9:15:00 AM | Cross Country

Lopes attend 1st out-of-state meet in Minnesota

By: Sam Kuzminski

Friday, Sept. 24 | Minneapolis, Minn.

GRAND CANYON
LOPES

Roy Griak Invitational
Host: Minnesota

Men's race: 10:30 a.m. | Women's race: 11:15 a.m. | Follow GCU cross country: @GCU_TrackXC

The Grand Canyon cross country teams will compete in their first out-of-state race of the season at Friday's Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis. The race will take place at the Les Bolstad Golf Course.

The men's and women's teams did not race the past few weekends to train consistently in preparation for the upcoming race. After a difficult race running at an elevation of 7,000 feet in Flagstaff, Arizona, the Lopes will have the opportunity to showcase their talent at a lower elevation in Minneapolis.

Last season's WAC Freshman of the Year, Joseph Skoog, will make his season debut on Friday after taking sixth place at the WAC Championships this spring. Another top performer running with the Lopes for the first time this season is redshirt junior Jacob Lewis.

At the George Kyte Classic, seniors Landon Rast and Blake Bennett were the Lopes' top finishers and will continue to be a powerful force at the upcoming race.

The women are eager to continue what they started in Flagstaff a few weeks ago, and build on it through encouragement and teamwork. A tight pack of senior Ana Alvarez-Toastado, redshirt freshman Halle Jenkins, sophomore Niki Hemmerlin and freshman Emma Summers were some of the Lopes' top finishers at the George Kyte Classic. Working as a team, the women's team has something to prove in Minneapolis.

Follow the Lopes as they race through live stats.