The Minnesota men’s and women’s cross country teams will host the annual Roy Griak Invitational Saturday, Sept. 26, at Les Bolstad Golf Course in St. Paul.
The meet features six different races: Division I men, Division II and III men, Division I women, Division II and III women and high school girls and boys.
The Griak invitational, renamed in 1996 for Minnesota’s long-time cross country coach, is one of the largest cross country meets in the nation, with more than 100 teams and 1,800 runners participating. Races get underway at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Up and down
The Gophers football team is among the conference leaders in defensive statistics, but ranks at the bottom of most offensive categories. Minnesota is 10th in total offense, ninth in pass and scoring offense, and eighth in rushing and pass efficiency. On the other side of the line, the Gophers are fourth in total and scoring defense, fifth in pass defense efficiency and second in rushing defense. The lone exception to the rule is pass defense, a category in which Minnesota ranks 10th.
Quickies
This is the third time in his career that Tyrone Carter has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week; the first came when he returned two fumbles for touchdowns against Syracuse in 1996, the second when he posted 17 tackles against Indiana last season … Carter also ranks second in the conference in kickoff returns; in three games, he’s returned four punts for 134 yards. His 33.5-yard average was helped considerably by a season-opening 86-yard return against Arkansas State … Admission is free to the men’s golf NCAA Preview Tournament Hazeltine National Golf Course Sept. 28-29. Minnesota is one of 15 teams in the field, highlighted by Georgia Tech, Ohio State and defending national champs Nevada-Las Vegas.