Cross Country Hosts Julius Johnson/MGA Invitational
9/15/2023 12:07:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Athletics Department
MACON – The Mercer men's and women's cross country teams will partner with Middle Georgia State to host the Julius Johnson/MGA Invitational on Saturday with a Community/Alumni 5k to follow. The Georgia Premier Cross Country Course will be the location for the Bears' only race in Macon this season.
After record performances on the women's side as well as multiple new personal records for the men in the season opener on September 1 at the Firetower Project Run in Boone, N.C., the team will get to race on the course they frequently practice on. Women's team athletes Kamila Soja and Patrycja Maizek broke into the top five in the record books for the third and fifth fastest 5k times in Mercer cross country history running 17:44.42 and 18:11.73, respectively. The women's team's average finish time of 18:37.10 is the fastest in school history. The Mercer men's team received a #3 Southern Conference preseason ranking.
The men's 8k race will start at 7:45 a.m., and the women's 5k will start at 8:30 a.m. The facility opens at 6:15 a.m. Live results will be available for the men's and women's races.
Reflecting on her last race at Georgia Premier, senior Bri Teegarden says, "It feels like a full-circle moment. My freshman year with Covid, we ran three races at the course, and being able to run a race here my senior year and see how far we've come as a team and my progress individually within the program is really cool!" Senior Josh Kraver remembers racing there multiple times his first season at Mercer as they were one of the few teams hosing meets that season. He has raced there each season of his career as a Bear and says the grass improves and the course gets better every year.Â
Following the collegiate races, a community/alumni 5k will be held on the same course allowing anyone to participate. Registration is available online. Funds raised from the event will benefit the Mercer Cross Country program.
The Julius Johnson Invitational is held in tribute to Julius C. Johnson Jr. who graduated from Mercer in 1950 and was a member of the Track and Field team.Â
The Georgia Premier Cross Country Course has hosted many elite events including Georgia high school cross country state championships, region championships, and collegiate conference championships for the ASUN and SoCon.
Teams attending: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Albany State, Benedict, Brewton-Parker, Central Georgia Tech, Clark-Atlanta, Clayton State, Georgia College, Mercer, Middle Georgia State, Morehouse, Wesleyan
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After record performances on the women's side as well as multiple new personal records for the men in the season opener on September 1 at the Firetower Project Run in Boone, N.C., the team will get to race on the course they frequently practice on. Women's team athletes Kamila Soja and Patrycja Maizek broke into the top five in the record books for the third and fifth fastest 5k times in Mercer cross country history running 17:44.42 and 18:11.73, respectively. The women's team's average finish time of 18:37.10 is the fastest in school history. The Mercer men's team received a #3 Southern Conference preseason ranking.
The men's 8k race will start at 7:45 a.m., and the women's 5k will start at 8:30 a.m. The facility opens at 6:15 a.m. Live results will be available for the men's and women's races.
Reflecting on her last race at Georgia Premier, senior Bri Teegarden says, "It feels like a full-circle moment. My freshman year with Covid, we ran three races at the course, and being able to run a race here my senior year and see how far we've come as a team and my progress individually within the program is really cool!" Senior Josh Kraver remembers racing there multiple times his first season at Mercer as they were one of the few teams hosing meets that season. He has raced there each season of his career as a Bear and says the grass improves and the course gets better every year.Â
Following the collegiate races, a community/alumni 5k will be held on the same course allowing anyone to participate. Registration is available online. Funds raised from the event will benefit the Mercer Cross Country program.
The Julius Johnson Invitational is held in tribute to Julius C. Johnson Jr. who graduated from Mercer in 1950 and was a member of the Track and Field team.Â
The Georgia Premier Cross Country Course has hosted many elite events including Georgia high school cross country state championships, region championships, and collegiate conference championships for the ASUN and SoCon.
Teams attending: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Albany State, Benedict, Brewton-Parker, Central Georgia Tech, Clark-Atlanta, Clayton State, Georgia College, Mercer, Middle Georgia State, Morehouse, Wesleyan
Â
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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