Never been to a cross country meet? Thinking about going to a race? If you want to cheer on the Jays, your only chance to watch a meet in Omaha this season is Saturday, at the Creighton-UNO Invitational. Here are a few tips for those not familiar with the fast-pace atmosphere at a collegiate cross country race.
Time
Saturday not only marks the first Creighton cross country meet; it is the first full day of college football. But don’t worry about missing any pigskin. With races scheduled for 8:00 a.m. (men’s) and 8:45 a.m. (women’s), you’ll still have plenty of time to get home and watch Lee Corso don the headgear for his pick of the week’s big college football showdown.
The Start
What’s the start like? Ever driven through tool booths in a large metro area, before they were all equipped with EZ Pass lanes? Five or six lanes wide. No lane markers. After you pay and the green light flashes, it’s every car for themselves – exactly like the start of a meet. Runners sprint once they hear the starter’s gun to create separation from the pack; quite the scene.
Course Layout
Planning makes perfect. Get a map of the course to know the layout. You will want to plot where to go after the race starts to maximize your view of the runners and travel the least amount of space between cheering spots.
Yelling
Chili Greens is a golf course. But unlike a round on the tees, where the only yelling you might hear is “fore!”, fans are encouraged to be as loud as possible while cheering on the cross country teams. Let the runners hear you!
CU Squad
Don’t expect to see the full array of Jays running Saturday morning. With the season just getting underway and plenty of races to come in the following months, coach Chas Davis is holding some of his more experienced runners back and giving the young team members a chance to impress. Molly Jergenson, Melissa Greig, Jared Dittman, Stephen Van Gampleare, Casey Jergenson, and Chris Culhane will not compete this weekend.
Competition
Creighton, Nebraska-Omaha, Nebraska-Lincoln, and York College will compete in the women’s race. The CU, UNL, and York men will race.
Cost
The meet is free to the public. Everyone can afford that; even poor college students!