Friday, September 18
Gainesville, FL
7:55 a.m.
Florida Gators
vs
Mountain Dew Invitational
Geiger and Vicioso Lead the Way as Gators Return to Competition
Friday, September 18, 2020 | Cross Country
Newcomers pace Florida in opening meet of the season
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida opened up its cross country season and the athletic calendar for the university on Friday in the Mountain Dew Invitational at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
Strong performances from newcomers Ethan Geiger (3rd, 25:08.18) and Angel Vicioso (8th, 25:20.41) paced the men's team in an 8,000-meter race (8k) while Payton Capes-Davis (17th, 22:02.21) and Emily Culley (21st, 22:17.15) led the way for the shorthanded women's team in a 6k race as UF competed against Florida State, Georgia Tech and Miami.
The men's team finished third on 68 points while the women's team received a did-not-place (DNP) designation with only four runners competing, which is one short of the required five to score as a team.
Trevor Foley (23rd, 26:08.98), Blake Lowery (25th, 26:16.59) and Reed Legg (27th, 26:26.02) rounded out the top five for the men's team.
Meanwhile on the women's side, Liina Winborn (28th, 22:38.86) and Gianna Forte (30th, 23:17.45) finished things out for the squad.
Florida will now travel to Tallahassee on Oct. 2 for the FSU XC Invitational.
QUOTABLES
Assistant Coach (Distance) Chris Solinsky:
Opening Statement: "The first race is always that first indication of what our training translates to and how our kids are as competitors. That's the biggest thing for us, is emphasizing the competitiveness. In our sport, it's going to hurt, no matter how much you prepare. It's just a matter of when, not if. For us, the biggest thing that I see we can do better is the mental side because I'm really pleased with what I've been seeing in training, we just have to follow through on the mental execution."
On Ethan Geiger and Angel Vicioso: "I thought Ethan looked really strong, especially for his first 8k. Normally, your first 8k is going to be a reality check and I think he handled it well. He was definitely suffering in that last mile but he stayed in it and stayed tough. It was good to see Angel running. I thought he had a good, solid race, we've just got to put a finish on it."
On being back to competition: "It feels great (to be back). To pull up this morning, I was like 'man, I can't believe that three months ago, even a month ago, this was all in question.' So, to finally get here, have the meet go off and have everything go smoothly, it feels great to find some semblance of a routine and normalcy. These kids have adapted really well and have done everything we have asked. It's good for them to be able to get out here and show their stuff."
Ethan Geiger:
On today's performance: "I'm stoked about my individual performance because initially, I wanted to get top three but I knew with the competition today that it was going to be hard. To come away with a third-place finish as a freshman in my first ever collegiate race, it's phenomenal."
On the men's team's outlook: "Angel (Vicioso) absolutely crushed it today. I'm stoked about other guys on this team who are running really well. We are a very young team, so there's a learning curve, but today was a chance to set a precedent for the future."
Payton Capes-Davis:
On being back to competition: "It was definitely really different, but nonetheless super fun and super exciting. It's always great to get on the line with your teammates and other teams test your fitness."
On the women's team's outlook: "We'll have our full team back and ready to roll (for the FSU XC Invitational) and we have some girls really ready to roll and show off their fitness. I'm really excited for them and excited to be back with them. Our next race is going to be great."
Men's Team Results: 4 Teams
Strong performances from newcomers Ethan Geiger (3rd, 25:08.18) and Angel Vicioso (8th, 25:20.41) paced the men's team in an 8,000-meter race (8k) while Payton Capes-Davis (17th, 22:02.21) and Emily Culley (21st, 22:17.15) led the way for the shorthanded women's team in a 6k race as UF competed against Florida State, Georgia Tech and Miami.
The men's team finished third on 68 points while the women's team received a did-not-place (DNP) designation with only four runners competing, which is one short of the required five to score as a team.
Trevor Foley (23rd, 26:08.98), Blake Lowery (25th, 26:16.59) and Reed Legg (27th, 26:26.02) rounded out the top five for the men's team.
Meanwhile on the women's side, Liina Winborn (28th, 22:38.86) and Gianna Forte (30th, 23:17.45) finished things out for the squad.
Florida will now travel to Tallahassee on Oct. 2 for the FSU XC Invitational.
QUOTABLES
Assistant Coach (Distance) Chris Solinsky:
Opening Statement: "The first race is always that first indication of what our training translates to and how our kids are as competitors. That's the biggest thing for us, is emphasizing the competitiveness. In our sport, it's going to hurt, no matter how much you prepare. It's just a matter of when, not if. For us, the biggest thing that I see we can do better is the mental side because I'm really pleased with what I've been seeing in training, we just have to follow through on the mental execution."
On Ethan Geiger and Angel Vicioso: "I thought Ethan looked really strong, especially for his first 8k. Normally, your first 8k is going to be a reality check and I think he handled it well. He was definitely suffering in that last mile but he stayed in it and stayed tough. It was good to see Angel running. I thought he had a good, solid race, we've just got to put a finish on it."
On being back to competition: "It feels great (to be back). To pull up this morning, I was like 'man, I can't believe that three months ago, even a month ago, this was all in question.' So, to finally get here, have the meet go off and have everything go smoothly, it feels great to find some semblance of a routine and normalcy. These kids have adapted really well and have done everything we have asked. It's good for them to be able to get out here and show their stuff."
Ethan Geiger:
On today's performance: "I'm stoked about my individual performance because initially, I wanted to get top three but I knew with the competition today that it was going to be hard. To come away with a third-place finish as a freshman in my first ever collegiate race, it's phenomenal."
On the men's team's outlook: "Angel (Vicioso) absolutely crushed it today. I'm stoked about other guys on this team who are running really well. We are a very young team, so there's a learning curve, but today was a chance to set a precedent for the future."
Payton Capes-Davis:
On being back to competition: "It was definitely really different, but nonetheless super fun and super exciting. It's always great to get on the line with your teammates and other teams test your fitness."
On the women's team's outlook: "We'll have our full team back and ready to roll (for the FSU XC Invitational) and we have some girls really ready to roll and show off their fitness. I'm really excited for them and excited to be back with them. Our next race is going to be great."
Men's Team Results: 4 Teams
- Florida State (19 points)
- Georgia Tech (53 points)
- Florida (68 Points)
- Miami (110 Points)
- Georgia Tech (25 Points)
- Florida State (30 Points)
- Miami (83 points)
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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