LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell men's and women's cross country teams have unveiled the 2024 slate, as of Thursday afternoon. They will begin the year in Burlington, Vt. at the Pre-Conference Meet on Aug. 31.
"This year, both teams have a nice mix of youth and experience, so we attempted to mold the schedule to fit each individual," said Head Coach
Gary Gardner. "We have entered some smaller meets, which will enable the youth to gain valuable experience, but have also entered meets with some of the best in the nation. We hope these experiences will come together and lead to running our best at the conference and NCAA championships."
The trip up to Vermont allows the squad to get an early glimpse at the course they will be running at the 2024 America East Championship later in the season. Following that season opener, they will come home to compete in the Suffolk Short Course Classic on Sept. 7.
After a week of rest and recovery, the River Hawks will hit the course once again on Sept. 21, when they participate in the UMass Dartmouth Invitational, before another week off of competition. When they return, they will test their skills alongside some stiff competition in the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh on Oct. 5.
The next week, they will take part in the Bruce Kirsch Cross Country Cup, hosted by Franklin Pierce (Oct. 11), before heading to Wisconsin for the Pre-National Invitational on Oct. 19. The next weekend, the CCSU Mini Meet (Oct. 25) will serve as the final race for the squad to prepare for the conference championship down in New Britain, Conn.
Vermont will host the 2024 America East Cross Country Championship in Burlington on Saturday, Nov. 2, as the men will look to win their fifth consecutive conference title, while the women are eyeing their fourth title in seasons.
Following, conference champs, UMass Lowell will play the role as hosts for the 2024 NCAA Northeast Regional in Hopkinton, N.H. on Friday, Nov. 15, as the NCAA Cross Country Championships follow that up the next weekend (Nov. 23) at Wisconsin.
