FORT MYERS, Fla. – In their final tune-up race before the ASUN Championship in March, both FGCU cross country squads will host Stetson for a dual race Tuesday morning at Estero Community Park.
Capacity will be limited and spectators must wear masks at all times and adhere to CDC guidelines.
This will be the first time since 2009 that the Eagles have hosted an opponent (Miami) at Estero Park. In its first-ever home meet that year, the FGCU men's side placed first overall.
FGCU has competed in one race this spring and that was at the UCF Invitational. In the men's race, the Eagles placed four runners in the top 10, highlighted by
Boniface Mutai (Eldoret, Kenya/FAMU) placing third (25:41.10). Right on his heels was
Benjamin Hermiston (Sherrill, Iowa/Dubuque Hempstead HS) with a time of 25:57.10.
On the women's side, newcomer
Emme Beaupre (Palatine, Ill./William Fremd HS) led the Green and Blue posting a mark of 18:39.90 as
Reilly Ritter (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca HS) rounded out the top 12.
Up Next
FGCU heads to Macon, Ga., for the ASUN Championship on Friday, Mar. 5. Times are TBA.
FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of FGCU men's and women's cross country this season, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_XC and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com.
COACH GOODSON
FGCU is led by Cassandra Goodson, whose 12 seasons at the helm have taken the Eagles from their humble beginnings to a competitive D-I program, highlighted by eight trips to the NCAA South Regional Championship. Every mark in the FGCU all-time record book has been etched during the Goodson era, as she has coached 21 ASUN All-Conference selections, the 2013 Female Conference Runner of the Year and three members of the NCAA South All-Region Team.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 82 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 38 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including women's basketball (No. 24, 2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate (APR) in their sport and have had the highest percentage of teams so honored from these two groups over each of the past three years. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.46 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 22 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall and 2020 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
