The men’s and women’s teams competed in the Roy Griak Invitational Saturday in Minneapolis, finishing ninth and third respectively. It was the first race for UNC’s varsity squads.
The men’s team, the highest ranked at the meet and expected to finish first, did not race up to its potential.
Coach Mark VanAlstyne said he thinks the runners are disappointed and embarrassed.
“I think we have to be committed to be ready to hurt,” he said. “I think it was a shock to us (Saturday) that it didn’t come easy. It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what it was.”
Conditions were hot, the course was consistently hilly and the medical tent was swamped as runners dealt with heat stroke — but every team struggled with these factors.
For most of the men competing, it was their first race of the season, which VanAlstyne said likely hurt them.
“In hindsight, we probably could’ve used a competitive effort for those guys before now,” he said.
John Raneri crossed the line first for the Tar Heels, finishing 11th place overall. Raneri made a move and took the lead about halfway through the race but could not sustain the position to the finish line.