The Irish start their 2010 campaign at the Valparaiso Crusader Open.

Cross Country Heads To The Valparaiso Crusader Open

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s cross country teams open the 2010 campaign at the Valparaiso Crusader Open at Sunset Hills Park, located in Valparaiso, Ind. This will the 22nd year that Valparaiso has hosted the Crusader Open.

Both the Irish men and women took the team title in 2009 at the Crusader Open. The Irish men took 10 of the top 11 spots with Spencer Carter (Bishop Kelly HS, Boise, Idaho) taking the individual title in 19:16 and Kelly Lynch (Mead HS, Spokane, Wash.) placed second in 19:20, and Mat Abernethy (Georgetown Prep., College Park, Md.) took third with a time of 19:22.

Theresa Cattuna (Cherry Hill East HS, Cherry Hill, N.J.) won the individual title with a time of 18:25, while Erica Watson (Noblesville HS, Noblesville, Ind.) finished second as she crossed the finish line in 18:36.

This year’s Crusader Open will begin with the women’s five-kilometer race at 5:00 p.m. (CT), followed by the men’s six-kilometer race at 5:45 p.m (CT).

Notre Dame will return home for the National Catholic Invitational on Friday, Sept. 17th. The meet welcomes Catholic universities from across the nation to the Notre Dame campus. The open race begins at 3:30 p.m., followed by the women at 4:15 p.m., concluding with the men’s race at 5:00 p.m.

Complete results from the Crusader Open will be available on www.und.com following each race.

EXPECTED TO RUN: Listed below is a list of Irish runners entered in Friday’s Valparaiso Crusader Opener.

Men Tyler Bartlow So. Long Grove, Ill. (Stevenson) Kevin Hendrickson So. Saline, Mich. (Saline) Kyle Higdon Sr. Michigan City, Ind. (Michigan City) Kevin Jacobs Fr. Roscoe, Ill. (Hononegah) Thomas Noel Sr. Louisville, Ky. (Trinity) Thomas Pesch Jr. Elgin, Minn. (Plainview-Elgin-Millville) Patrick Smith Fr. Wilmette, Ill. (Loyola Academy) Paul Springer Sr. Kennett Square, Pa. (Unionville) Michael Tripp Fr. Rochester N.Y. (McQuaid Jesuit) Darryl Varney Fr. North Andover, Mass. (North Andover)

Women Liz Barron So. Oakland Mich. (Notre Dame Prep.) Gena Bleyer Jr. Chesterfield, Mo. (St. Joseph’s Academy) Grace Brier Jr. Clarks Summit, Pa. (Scranton Prep.) Molly Hirt Jr. Bloomington, Ind. (Bloomington North) Kari Johnson Jr. Central Lake, Mich. (Central Lake) Lily Rodgers Fr. Edgewood, Ky. (Covington Latin) Ryan Russ Fr. Golden Colo. (J.K. Mullen) Susanna Sullivan Jr. Falls Church, Va. (George Mason)

–ND–