MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | Georgia College & State University will host the Bobcat Invitational this Friday (Sept. 26)  on the university's newly developed West Campus cross country course.

The women's 5K races is scheduled for 5 p.m., followed by the men's 8K at 6 p.m. Both races start and finish on the intramural soccer fields and spectators are welcome.

The event will be the first major meet held on the new course, which features two loops beginning and ending on the intramural soccer fields. The opening stretch runs through the disc golf course on packed dirt trails in the woods, while the second section is primarily grass and includes multiple hill climbs designed to test endurance and strength. 

GCSU men's and women's cross country head coach Alexander Bruno said the team has focused its training around the challenges of the new course. 

"We expect them to have a great understanding for what challenges the course will provide," said Bruno. "We stressed the hills in all of our workouts and did all we could to mentally prepare our athletes for how difficult some sections of the course would be. The more we have run the course, the more our student-athletes realize they can be the aggressors on the hard stretches and can be the strongest team on the course." 

Bruno added that the event is not only a competition, but also an opportunity for the campus community to connect with the team and explore the new facility. 

There are 16 men's teams and 17 women's teams expected to take part, including seven men's and eight women's squads from the Peach Belt Conference. For GCSU, the Invitational also serves as a preview of the Peach Belt Conference Championships the school will host on Oct. 25, giving visiting teams an early look at the course layout. 

"With most of the top teams in the conference coming out to see our new course for the first time ever, having a great turnout from the campus would help propel our team to a great performance," said Bruno. 

Bruno also encourages students, faculty and staff to use the new course outside of competition. With about three miles of trails branching from the intramural fields, the facility is open for running, walking and exploring. 

"So many people have come out to help make this incredible facility a reality but special thanks to Dr. Doug Oetter for his vision and course design," said Bruno. "Come out to see all that the facility has to offer and support our Bobcats." 

Live results of the races can be found at https://milesplit.live/meets/DA25443, while a live stream at https://pbcsportsnetwork.com/gcbobcats.



About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for four consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won five consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to the GSCU Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with GCSU Athletics.