Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Cross Country opens season with SIU Early Bird
08/31/2006 | 12:00:00 | Cross Country
Aug. 31, 2006
By Matt Crouch
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University cross country team gets its season started Friday, Sept. 1 with the SIU Early Bird at the SIU cross country course in Carbondale, Ill.
The event is an intrasquad meet with some unattached runners competing as well. The meet will be used as a tune-up before the season really gets going at the Eastern Illinois Panther Open on Sept. 15.
"This meet will give us an idea of how summer training has gone. Some of the guys that were here this summer I am familiar with, so this will help with the others that were not around," said SIU head cross country coach Matt Sparks.
"Everyone appears to be fit, but we need to see them in competition."
Missing from action on Friday will be Southern's top returners on the women's team, Brittani Christensen and Sarah Rinker, and two from the men's team, Mohamed Mohamed and Kevin Doran.
Action in the SIU Early Bird is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. with the women running a 4K. The men will follow at 6 p.m. with a 6K run.
