Sept. 8, 2005

Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri men's and women's cross country teams will open their 2005 campaign at home this Saturday, Sept. 10, with the 12th annual Missouri Cross Country Challenge beginning at 10 a.m. (CT) on Mizzou's A.L. Gustin Golf Course. Five college teams from across the Midwest will participate in the meet, with the men's squads setting off first on an 8K run at 10 a.m., followed by the women's 5K at 10:40 a.m.

Eastern Illinois, Wichita State, Illinois State and UMKC will each bring teams to the college/open division of the Challenge. Altogether, eight races will be held on A.L. Gustin Golf Course beginning with the 8 a.m. running of the freshman high school two-mile boys race, immediately followed by the freshman high school two mile girls race at 8:30 a.m. Both the junior-varsity and varsity high school boys and girls teams will compete on a 5K course. The junior-varsity high school boys teams will run at 9 a.m., with the women running at 9:30 a.m. Varsity boys and girls teams from approximately 20 high schools will round out the morning events beginning at 11:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., respectively.

Over 900 student-athletes will converge on Columbia, for the annual running of the Missouri Cross Country Challenge. The Tigers claimed eight top-10 finishes on the women's side last season, with the men taking seven top-10 times. Missouri harriers on both sides earned titles (Jill Petersen and Tim Ross).

Coming off of a successful 2004 campaign in which the Missouri women's team earned its third NCAA Regional title in five years and finished 11th in the nation, their highest finish in 20 years, the squad returns 2003 All-American Amanda Bales (Bettendorf, Iowa) for her senior campaign. Bales was one of five MU women to receive All-Conference and All-Region honors last season and claimed the Missouri Cross Country Challenge title in 2003.

On the men's side, seniors Matt Noonan (Baldwin City, Kan.) and 2004 NCAA qualifier Tim Ross (Alto, Mich.) are back for their final year of eligibility. Ross looks to earn his third Challenge title of his career, and second consecutive victory. A win by Ross would make him only the second Tiger to earn three Missouri Cross Country Challenge titles.

Schedule
8 a.m. - Freshman HS Boys (2 miles)
8:30a.m. - Freshman HS Girls (2 miles)
9:00a.m. - Junior Varsity HS Boys (5K)
9:30a.m. - Junior Varsity HS Girls (5K)
10 a.m. - College/Open Men (8K)
10:40a.m. - College/Open Women (5K)
11:15a.m. - Varsity HS Boys (5K)
11:45a.m. - Varsity HS Girls (5K)