What was once steady ground will soon be shaken on Friday, Oct. 4. Hosted by Notre Dame, the Joe Piane Invitational, one of the most important meets of the 2019 men's and women's cross country seasons, is set to gather 24 top-30 ranked teams — 13 from the men's draw and 11 from the women's draw. Each race (men's and women's) will include five of the top 10 teams.
POLL REACTIONS: The updated men's and women's cross country rankings, and what they mean
Rankings are expected to unravel while others are expected to cement. Below, we detail information about the Joe Piane Invitational, including the 2019 schedule, teams to watch, history and origin of the event.
Live results will be posted here.
Schedule: 2019 Joe Piane Invitational
Times listed in ET.
- 1 p.m.: Women's Blue Division — 5,000 Meters
- 1:45 p.m.: Men's Blue Division — 5 Miles
- 2:30 p.m.: Women's Open Division — 5,000 Meters
- 2:30 p.m.: Men's Open Division — 5 Miles
- 3:15 p.m.: Women's Gold Division — 5,000 Meters
- 4 p.m.: Men's Gold Division — 5 miles
Teams in the Blue and Gold races are viewable here and in the below tweet.
The field is set!
— Notre Dame XC/TF (@NDXCTF) September 27, 2019
We can't wait to welcome some of the nation's best teams next week for the 64th Annual Joe Piane-Notre Dame Invitational!#GoIrish ☘️ pic.twitter.com/fKj21cSTtZ
Teams to watch
Men: Washington, Colorado, Iowa State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin
Each team will be heavily tested at the invitational, but none other than the five teams in the latest top 10. No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Colorado, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 10 Wisconsin all have something to prove. And if their current rankings are not compatible with their performances on Friday, expect a huge shakeup in the next poll.
MEN'S UPSET: Who can challenge 3-time defending champ Northern Arizona this season?
Women: Colorado, New Mexico, Washington, NC State, Wisconsin
The same can be said for the women, who also send five of the top 10 teams to South Bend. No. 1 Colorado, T-No. 2 New Mexico, No. 6 Washington, No. 8 NC State and No. 9 Wisconsin will all participate. But unlike the men's draw, the women have two of the top 3 teams racing, and the opportunity to oust the nation's best exists. Same can be said for the top-10 teams who are idle weekend. They can move up in the polls if Colorado or New Mexico falters.
Joe Piane Invitational history
Notre Dame named its invitational after former track and cross country head coach Joe Piane, who led the Irish to 26 conference championships in a 39-year span. He was twice named national cross country coach of the year (1987, 2001), and he instructed two of the Irish's most successful athletes — Ryan Shay and Liz Grow. Shay was a nine-time All-American, 2001 national champion and 2003 USA Marathon champion. Grow shared similar titles as a four-time All-American and three-time Big East champion quarter-miler.
In August, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Piane will be one of six coaches inducted into the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame, as part of the 2019 class.
Here's are the invitational's past winners, since 2011:
| Year | Men's winners | Women's winners |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | BYU, 23 | BYU 37 |
| 2017 | Calvin, 15 | Calvin, 15 |
| 2016 | Ole Miss, 83 | Bradley, 103 |
| 2015 | Clemson, 53 | New Mexico, 29 |
| 2014 | Grand Valley State, 36 | Toledo, 46 |
| 2013 | Grand Valley State, 40 | Southern Illinois, 52 |
| 2012 | Northern Central (IL), 54 | Florida State, 28 |
| 2011 | Grand Valley State, 45 | Grand Valley State, 40 |
