Tickets// THE STARTING LINE
The University of Cincinnati cross country program will open its 2018 season this weekend as the Bearcats will be one of 13 squads lining up to race in the 37th Queen City Invitational Saturday morning. The 5,000m races for the men and the women will take place on the Valhalla Cross Country Course on the Northern Kentucky campus with the men leading things off at 9 a.m. and the women to follow at 9:30 a.m.
// FOLLOW US
For up to the minute updates, follow UC Track & Field/Cross Country (@GoBearcatsTFXC) on Twitter, Facebook (GoBearcatsTFXC) and Instagram (GoBearcatsTFXC) and join in the conversation by using the hashtag #Bearcats.
// WHO'S IN?
This year's running of the Queen City Invitational will feature 13 schools. Along with UC and host NKU, the field will include runners from Cedarville, Cincinnati Christian, Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky, Marshall, Morehead State, Ohio State, Thomas Moore, Wright State and Xavier.
// 37th QUEEN CITY INVITATIONAL
The Queen City Invitational enters its 37th year after first being held in 1982 at the Winton Woods Golf Course. Cincinnati played host to the event for many years before the three area schools - UC, NKU and Xavier - came together to share hosting duties at the 2007 event. Since then, the trio has rotated host venues, ranging from Voice of America MetroPark, Kingswood Park, A.J. Jolly Park (Alexandria, Ky.) and now, Valhalla XC Course.
// QUEEN CITY HISTORY • MEN
The Bearcats have won 18 of the team titles with their last coming in 2015. UC put together a string of wins from 2001 through 2008, a stretch of eight years in a row matched only by the UC women (2004-10). Indianapolis and Miami (Ohio) are second in the team title ledger with three victories each. Individually, the Bearcats have won 18 race titles with Eric Finan's back-to-back crowns as the 2010 and 2011 meets standing as the last time a UC runner won the men's title. Morehead State is second on the list with three while both NKU and Xavier are third with two titles.
// QUEEN CITY HISTORY • WOMEN
Similar to the men, the women also have won the most team titles in the history of the meet having captured 10 crowns with EKU second at seven and Xavier third with five. The last time UC won the women's title was in 2010, the eighth year in a row UC had claimed victory. Individually, the Bearcats have claimed 10 individual titles with Michelle McKenny's win in 2010 the last for UC's women. Eastern Kentucky is second on the individual crown list with five while six other schools have won two races each.
// QUEEN CITY HISTORY • COMBINED
Overall, the Bearcats have combined to win 28 team crowns and swept the men's and women's titles in the same season seven times. Individually, the Bearcats also have won 28 titles with EKU and Morehead State tying for second with five race wins each.
// RECAP: 2017 QUEEN CITY
Both Bearcats teams finished third overall in last year's Queen City Invitational with Dayton capturing both the men's and women's team titles. Dan Huben led the men as he was third overall individually while Madison Dunlap was the top UC woman in ninth. The men's overall winner last year was NKU's Andrew Schille, who graduated and will be running for UC this weekend.
// 2017 QUICK REVIEW
• Madison Dunlap finished 15th at the AAC Championships in Philadelphia (Oct. 28) to earn her first all-conference selection and just the second for UC's women in the AAC era
• Both teams finished ninth overall at the AAC Championships
• Both teams closed the year by placing 21st at the NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships
// NEW TO THE TEAM - WOMEN
The newest additions to the women's roster this year include five true freshmen and one redshirt sophomore. The five freshmen include Maggie Breitenstein (Cincinnati/St. Ursula), Leah Maschino (Maineville, Ohio/Kings), Janey McManus (Huntsville, Ala./Grissom), Madalyn O'Dea (Louisville/Christian Academy) and Rylee Penn (Corona, Calif./Centennial). The final newcomer is Ellee Bullock (Dublin, Ohio/Jerome). Bullock has been a member of two collegiate tennis programs, starting her career at Utah State before transferring to UC in time for the 2017-18 season.
// NEW TO THE TEAM - MEN
The men's newcomers include a mix of three true freshmen, one sophomore, one junior and one graduate senior. The rookies include Toni Banos (Spain), Keifer Mosmeier (Laurelville, Ohio/Logan Elm) and Christian Stevens (Indianapolis/Brebeuf Jesuit), with Jack Cordonnier (Morrow, Ohio/St. Xavier) joining as a sophomore after running for the UC Running Club last year. The final two newcomers have had great success in college already, including Aaron Bienenfeld (Germany), who joined the UC program in time for the 2018 track & field season in which he won the AAC 10,000m outdoor title, and Andrew Schille (Cincinnati/Oak Hills), a graduate transfer from NKU where he was a four-time champion in the Horizon League (three on the track and one in cross country) and a 10-time All-Horizon League selection.
// AROUND THE PROGRAM - EXCELLENCE
Recently, the Legion of Excellence honorees were announced with four members of the track & field/cross country program earning the distinction. This year's honorees include Nick Grismer and Hannah Markel for cross country and track & field honorees Alex Bloom and Angelica Lightfoot. All four will be honored at the 18th Annual Legion of Excellence Gala on Thursday, September 20.
// UP NEXT
Following one week off from competition, the Bearcats will return to racing Saturday, September 15, when they travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for the John McNichols Invitational. The meet will be held on the LaVern Gibson Championships Course, which also will serve as the host site of this year's NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships in November.
The University of Cincinnati cross country program will open its 2018 season this weekend as the Bearcats will be one of 13 squads lining up to race in the 37th Queen City Invitational Saturday morning. The 5,000m races for the men and the women will take place on the Valhalla Cross Country Course on the Northern Kentucky campus with the men leading things off at 9 a.m. and the women to follow at 9:30 a.m.
// FOLLOW US
For up to the minute updates, follow UC Track & Field/Cross Country (@GoBearcatsTFXC) on Twitter, Facebook (GoBearcatsTFXC) and Instagram (GoBearcatsTFXC) and join in the conversation by using the hashtag #Bearcats.
// WHO'S IN?
This year's running of the Queen City Invitational will feature 13 schools. Along with UC and host NKU, the field will include runners from Cedarville, Cincinnati Christian, Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky, Marshall, Morehead State, Ohio State, Thomas Moore, Wright State and Xavier.
// 37th QUEEN CITY INVITATIONAL
The Queen City Invitational enters its 37th year after first being held in 1982 at the Winton Woods Golf Course. Cincinnati played host to the event for many years before the three area schools - UC, NKU and Xavier - came together to share hosting duties at the 2007 event. Since then, the trio has rotated host venues, ranging from Voice of America MetroPark, Kingswood Park, A.J. Jolly Park (Alexandria, Ky.) and now, Valhalla XC Course.
// QUEEN CITY HISTORY • MEN
The Bearcats have won 18 of the team titles with their last coming in 2015. UC put together a string of wins from 2001 through 2008, a stretch of eight years in a row matched only by the UC women (2004-10). Indianapolis and Miami (Ohio) are second in the team title ledger with three victories each. Individually, the Bearcats have won 18 race titles with Eric Finan's back-to-back crowns as the 2010 and 2011 meets standing as the last time a UC runner won the men's title. Morehead State is second on the list with three while both NKU and Xavier are third with two titles.
// QUEEN CITY HISTORY • WOMEN
Similar to the men, the women also have won the most team titles in the history of the meet having captured 10 crowns with EKU second at seven and Xavier third with five. The last time UC won the women's title was in 2010, the eighth year in a row UC had claimed victory. Individually, the Bearcats have claimed 10 individual titles with Michelle McKenny's win in 2010 the last for UC's women. Eastern Kentucky is second on the individual crown list with five while six other schools have won two races each.
// QUEEN CITY HISTORY • COMBINED
Overall, the Bearcats have combined to win 28 team crowns and swept the men's and women's titles in the same season seven times. Individually, the Bearcats also have won 28 titles with EKU and Morehead State tying for second with five race wins each.
// RECAP: 2017 QUEEN CITY
Both Bearcats teams finished third overall in last year's Queen City Invitational with Dayton capturing both the men's and women's team titles. Dan Huben led the men as he was third overall individually while Madison Dunlap was the top UC woman in ninth. The men's overall winner last year was NKU's Andrew Schille, who graduated and will be running for UC this weekend.
// 2017 QUICK REVIEW
• Madison Dunlap finished 15th at the AAC Championships in Philadelphia (Oct. 28) to earn her first all-conference selection and just the second for UC's women in the AAC era
• Both teams finished ninth overall at the AAC Championships
• Both teams closed the year by placing 21st at the NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships
// NEW TO THE TEAM - WOMEN
The newest additions to the women's roster this year include five true freshmen and one redshirt sophomore. The five freshmen include Maggie Breitenstein (Cincinnati/St. Ursula), Leah Maschino (Maineville, Ohio/Kings), Janey McManus (Huntsville, Ala./Grissom), Madalyn O'Dea (Louisville/Christian Academy) and Rylee Penn (Corona, Calif./Centennial). The final newcomer is Ellee Bullock (Dublin, Ohio/Jerome). Bullock has been a member of two collegiate tennis programs, starting her career at Utah State before transferring to UC in time for the 2017-18 season.
// NEW TO THE TEAM - MEN
The men's newcomers include a mix of three true freshmen, one sophomore, one junior and one graduate senior. The rookies include Toni Banos (Spain), Keifer Mosmeier (Laurelville, Ohio/Logan Elm) and Christian Stevens (Indianapolis/Brebeuf Jesuit), with Jack Cordonnier (Morrow, Ohio/St. Xavier) joining as a sophomore after running for the UC Running Club last year. The final two newcomers have had great success in college already, including Aaron Bienenfeld (Germany), who joined the UC program in time for the 2018 track & field season in which he won the AAC 10,000m outdoor title, and Andrew Schille (Cincinnati/Oak Hills), a graduate transfer from NKU where he was a four-time champion in the Horizon League (three on the track and one in cross country) and a 10-time All-Horizon League selection.
// AROUND THE PROGRAM - EXCELLENCE
Recently, the Legion of Excellence honorees were announced with four members of the track & field/cross country program earning the distinction. This year's honorees include Nick Grismer and Hannah Markel for cross country and track & field honorees Alex Bloom and Angelica Lightfoot. All four will be honored at the 18th Annual Legion of Excellence Gala on Thursday, September 20.
// UP NEXT
Following one week off from competition, the Bearcats will return to racing Saturday, September 15, when they travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for the John McNichols Invitational. The meet will be held on the LaVern Gibson Championships Course, which also will serve as the host site of this year's NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships in November.