The Purple Aces will participate in six meets this fall
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville cross country team has released its 2024 schedule highlighted by one home meet and two returning meets.
“This year’s schedule will keep a sense of familiarity with many opportunities to face strong competition ahead of the conference championship,” says Head Coach Dylan Anderson. “We are also thrilled to be hosting at Angel Mounds again alongside the Evansville Sports Commission and USI. The roster this year is very young and talented, so I am excited for them to dive right in and to see what we can accomplish this season.”
The Purple Aces will begin their cross country season at the end of the month at Eastern Illinois on Friday, August 30th. It will be the first time UE returns to Charleston in six years for a cross country meet.
Three weeks later Evansville will return to action at the John McNichols Invite, hosted by Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) member Indiana State on Saturday, September 21st. It will be the fourth straight year that the Aces will run the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course at the Invite.
UE then returns to another familiar meet on Saturday, October 5th at the Live in Lou Classic. Hosted by Louisville, Live in Lou is one of the largest cross country meets in the United States. The 2024 meet will be Evansville’s fourth straight appearance running at E. P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park.
The Aces will host their only home meet of the season on Friday, October 18th at Angel Mounds. This season will be the second to last at Angel Mounds Cross Country course for the Aces as they host the Angel Mounds Invitational.
UE will then attend its furthest meet of the season at the MVC Cross Country Championships in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Hosted by Northern Iowa, Evansville will run at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course for the team’s final conference action on Friday, November 1st.
The Aces then wrap up the season at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship in Akron, Ohio. Postseason action for UE will be hosted by the Mid-American Conference on Friday, November 15th.
UE returns most of its men’s team from 2023, including top distance runner Samuel Lea (Worchester, England.) Lea finished the 2023 season with a Top 15 program finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Madison, Wisc. Lea ran a 32-minute 10K for the 12th fastest finish in Evansville history. The Aces only return two of their 2023 women’s runners in area student-athletes Kyndall Anthis (Patoka, Ind. / Princeton Community HS) and Avery Stephens (Newburgh, Ind. / Castle HS). UE also welcomes a large freshman class of 10 new runners with six new members of the men’s roster and four new members of the women’s roster.
