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Fifteen Ranked Teams To Compete In Notre Dame Invitational Friday

Six ranked teams will compete in the men's Blue Division race while nine ranked teams will compete in the women's Blue Division race.

Sept. 24, 2007

2007 Entries List
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NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The University of Notre Dame has announced the complete list of entrants for the 52nd running of the Notre Dame Invitational cross country meet to be held at the nine-hole Notre Dame Golf Course on the Notre Dame campus on Friday afternoon. The pool of teams lists six ranked teams on the men's side, including Notre Dame (13th) and nine ranked teams on the women's side, including Notre Dame (27th). The meet will kick off with the Gold Division women's and men's races at 2 p.m. (EDT) and 2:45 p.m., respectively, followed by the Blue Division women's and men's races at 4:15 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively. Admission for the meet is free to the public.

A total of 54 schools will be sending teams to the Notre Dame Invitational, fifteen of which are currently ranked in the top 30 of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) men's or women's polls. Top teams in the men's races includes No. 10 ranked North Carolina State, No. 11 ranked Providence and No. 13 ranked Notre Dame. On the women's side No. 2 ranked Michigan, No. 6 ranked Illinois and No. 9 ranked Providence will come into the competition as the top-ranked teams. Five schools will have both their men's and women's nationally-ranked squads in attendance on Friday: Michigan (#2 women/#26 men), Providence (#9 women/#11 men), Florida State (#12 women/#24 men), North Carolina State (#15 women/#10 men) and Notre Dame (#27 women/#13 men).

North Carolina State won the men's Blue Division race in 2006, while Michigan won the women's Blue Division race. Both teams will return to defend their titles this season. Other previous Notre Dame Invitational winners who will be participating in Friday's Blue Division races include: Notre Dame men (15 titles; last in 2003), Michigan men (eight titles; last in 1999-shared), Eastern Michigan men (three titles; last in 1997), Notre Dame women (six titles; last in 2003), Ohio University women (two titles; last in 1989) and North Carolina State women (one title in 1998). The Gold Division races will feature a mix of schools from NCAA Divisions I, II and III.

The Notre Dame Invitational is one of the nation's oldest and largest intercollegiate cross country meets. It was started in 1956 by legendary former Irish head coach (and Canadian Track Hall of Famer) Alex Wilson and has been run continuously ever since. The men's races originally began as four-mile events before being extended to five miles in 1968, with the 5K women's race being added in 1987.

A complete printable list of the entrants for the Notre Dame Invitational is available in a PDF file at the top of this release. Final results from the meet will be distributed after the conclusion of the day's races on the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.und.com), as well as the Notre Dame Sports Hotline (574-631-3000). Sports information contacts from participating schools may receive results via e-mail by contacting Notre Dame Sports Information Assistant Sara Wonderlich at swonderl@nd.edu by noon (EDT) Friday.

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