Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Cross Country Competing At Missouri Challenge Saturday
09/12/2002 | 12:00:00 | Cross Country
Sept. 12, 2002
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University men's and women's cross country teams will be back in action Saturday at the 10th Annual University of Missouri Challenge.
The meet will be the first scored event of the year for each team, coming off the season-opening Saluki Fast Start Open on Aug. 31. The women's 5K race will kick off at 10 a.m., with the men's 8K race following at 10:30 a.m.
The Saluki men will be led by junior Doron Giat, who placed first in the season-opener with a time of 19:41 in a 6K race. Senior Katie Meehan will lead the SIU women, coming off a first-place finish at the Fast Start Open with a time of 14:42 in a 4K.
The meet will feature Missouri Valley Conference rivals Drake and Wichita State, as well as Iowa, Southeast Missouri State and UMKC.
"We'll be competing against two other MVC schools, and it is always a goal of ours to beat those teams when we compete against them,'' said Saluki women's coach Matt Sparks.
The women's team will be competing once again without junior Noa Beitler, who return to action Oct. 5 at the Indiana St. Invitational.
