CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Chattanooga men's and women's cross country teams are back in action Friday morning as they split squads for two high-profile meets: the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and the Pre-National Invitational in Columbia, Mo.
 
The Crimson Classic, hosted by the University of Alabama, will feature a competitive regional field on a fast course at the Harry Pritchett Running Park. The Mocs will send a strong contingent of runners looking to sharpen their times ahead of the Southern Conference Championships later this month.
 
Jack Martin and Derek Mitchell along with Ian Etheridge, Cash Coggin, Andrew Moore, Riley Hanson, Tristan Gould, Isaac Atwood and Reid Gulstrom will line up for the men in Tuscaloosa.
 
The women's crew will include Lexi Foley, Ellie von Herrmann, Anna Roberson, Aubrey Park, Audrey Wade, EV McGowan, Lauren Bayes, Maya McCloskey, Olivia Steele, Scarlett Nash and Taylor Crawford.
 
The men's 8-kilometer race begins at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time and the women's 6K will follow at 10:30 a.m.
 
Meanwhile, a select group of Chattanooga's women's team will toe the line at the Pre-National Invitational, held at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course — the same venue that will host the NCAA Championships in November. The meet offers a valuable opportunity for the Mocs to test themselves against nationally ranked programs and gain experience on a championship-caliber course.
 
Maddie Wheatcroft will lead a group of eight in Missouri that includes Andrea Ellis, Bella King, Emma Thweatt, Leah Mitchell, Michaela Dabney, Liv Gould and Lola Baker.
 
The women's 6-kilometer race begins at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. Follow the action live on the SEC Network+.
 
The Pre-National Invitational was originally scheduled to run Saturday, but due to the possibility of inclement weather in the area, the meet was moved up a day.
 
Live results are available online at GoMocs.com the cross country schedule page.
 
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For the latest news and information on Chattanooga Mocs Cross Country and Track and Field, visit the official website of Mocs Athletics at GoMocs.com. Fans can also follow the Mocs on social media at /UTCTrackAndCrossCountry (Facebook), @GoMocsXCTF (Twitter), @gomocstrackxc (Instagram).