(Braxton Tate and Griffin Staude, shown leading the pack at the 2019 McGowan Invite)
Unfortunately, we'll have to wait an additional year for another one of Ohio's premier cross country meets to take place.
On Monday, it was announced by the Watkins Memorial coaching staff that the 2020 edition of the McGowan Invitational has been cancelled in response to safety considerations relating to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The McGowan Invite joins other elite Ohio-based meets, such as Centerville's Saturday Night Lights, the Tiffin Cross Country Carnival, and the OHSAA Early Invitational, among others, to halt activity for the 2020 campaign.
Watkins Memorial draws a deep talent pool year-after-year and it's also one of the state's largest annual gatherings. According to the MileSplit database, the 2019 offering yielded 3,407 official race finishers.
We look forward to the next installment of the McGowan Invitational, which is scheduled for September 11th, 2021.
2019 Meet Coverage -