Sept. 27, 2001

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri cross country teams will get back to competition when they travel to Minneapolis for the Roy Griak Invitational Saturday, Sept. 29. The meet is just the second meet of the 2001 season for both the men's and women's teams and one of the largest cross country meets in the nation.

Just under 90 colleges and universities will be competing in the event -- 41 of those are Division 1 caliber schools. Out of those, 15 men's teams and 17 women's teams participated in the 2000 NCAA meet. Twelve of the women's teams and 16 of the men's teams are in the Top 25 this season.

"We should be able to compete pretty well in both the men's and women's races," head coach Jared Wilmes said. "We're getting our young kids in a big-time cross country meet."

Assistant Cross Country coach Rebecca Wilmes said Roy Griak will be a great learning experience for the underclassmen who are used to running in smaller meets.

"They need to learn how to run in a big meet," she said. "We want them to be ready for the big meets, like at nationals. We want them to know that feeling."

The Missouri men will run at 11 a.m. in the 8K gold race followed by the Missouri women at noon in the 6K gold race.