Mizzou Cross Country Releases 2018 Schedule
8/21/2018 2:16:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Cross Country
Mizzou begins the 2018 campaign Sept. 1 in Memphis, Tenn.
MEN'S SCHEDULE // WOMEN'S SCHEDULE
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Cross Country head coach Marc Burns announced the team's 2018 schedule Tuesday, which features a season-opening meet in Memphis, Tenn., and three trips to Illinois.
"Our 2018 schedule features some great opportunities for both of our teams to develop and be prepared for the championship season," Burns said. "The early season meets will help to build our team dynamic and gain some important experience for later in the year. It is exciting to see the Loyola Lakefront Invitational back up and running and will give our kids a chance to see what a true city course looks like. We can't wait to get things rolling and look forward to a strong fall season."
Mizzou will open the season at the Brooks Twilight Classic in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday, Sept. 1, where the men will compete in a four-mile race and the women a 5k. Next, Mizzou will head to Illinois for back-to-back meets, first for the Illinois State Invitational on Friday, Sept. 14, and then for the Loyola Lakefront Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 29. The Loyola meet will be a homecoming for Burns, who was a two-time All-American at Loyola before becoming the head coach of the Cross Country and Track & Field programs for 10 seasons (1996-06). Mizzou will then finish up the regular season on Friday, Oct. 12, as the team will split between meets on the campus of Penn State at the National Open and Bradley University for the Bradley Pink Classic.
Post-season competition for Mizzou will begin with the SEC Championships in Auburn, Ala., on Friday, Oct. 26. A season ago, the Mizzou women's team finished fourth at the SEC meet, its second straight top-five finish after finishing third in 2016. It marked the first back-to-back top-five conference finish in program history since 2004-05.
Then, Mizzou will make its final trip to Illinois for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, which will be held in Peoria, Ill., on the campus of Bradley University, where Burns was the head coach of the Cross Country and Track & Field programs for four seasons (2010-14). At the NCAA regional meet, Mizzou hopes to qualify both teams for the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2000. This year's NCAA meet will take place on Saturday, Nov. 17, in Madison, Wis., on the campus of the University of Wisconsin.
| 2018 Mizzou Cross Country Schedule | ||
| Date | Meet | Location |
| Saturday, Sept. 1 | Brooks Twilight Classic | Memphis, Tenn. |
| Friday, Sept. 14 | Illinois State Invitational | Normal, Ill. |
| Saturday, Sept. 29 | Loyola Lakefront Invitational | Chicago, Ill. |
| Friday, Oct. 12 | National Open | University Park, Pa. |
| Friday, Oct. 12 | Bradley Pink Classic | Peoria, Ill. |
| Friday, Oct. 26 | SEC Championships | Auburn, Ala. |
| Friday, Nov. 9 | NCAA Midwest Regional Championships | Peoria, Ill. |
| Saturday, Nov. 17 | NCAA Championships | Madison, Wis. |
