Women's Team Gears for Firman Invitational

PROVO -- After a strong performance at the UC Riverside Invitational over the weekend, the No. 25 BYU women’s cross country team is now preparing for the Bob Firman Invitational on Saturday at Eagle Island State Park in Eagle, Idaho.

“The girls like the course a lot,” said BYU head coach Patrick Shane. “It’s fun for them to run around the lake and along a river with little hills at various points of the course.”

The team will travel Katy Andrews, Kendy Christensen, Nichole Clark, Lacey Cramer, Sarah Frey, Rachel Lange, Michaelanne Laurent, Nicole Nielsen, Millie Rapp, Lindsey Sowards, Katie Swanson, Ashlee Thomas, Kathryn Vidmar, and Sarah Yingling.

Hosted by Boise State, the meet will feature schools Idaho State, College of Idaho, Northwest Nazarene, Utah, Central Washington and BYU.

“Idaho State did very well at our meet a few weeks ago, so we’ll need the team to step up and get the job done,” Shane said. “We’re also excited for Nicole Nielsen, who’s from the Boise area, to return to her hometown and compete in uniform for us.”

The team hopes to gain valuable experience in preparation for the larger-scale races coming in a few weeks.

“This is a chance for our younger runners to carry the colors and get the job done,” Shane said. “This is the last low-key meet before our team starts receiving points toward nationals in the bigger meets. Hopefully we compete well and gain more experience.”