Looking to gather some momentum in its last competition prior to the University Athletic Association Championships, the Emory men’s and women’s cross country teams continue their seasons this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 15-16. 

On Friday, both teams will be represented at the Royal Cross Country Challenge in Charlotte, NC.  The men’s 8k Gold Race will begin at 4:15 p.m. and will be followed by the women’s 5k Navy Race at 5:00 p.m.  Both competitions will be held at McAlpine Creek Park.  Approximately 35 teams will be represented at the Challenge with a number of NCAA Division I and II programs in the mix. 

On Saturday, the Emory women’s team will have some of its members competing in the prestigious UW-Oshkosh Brooks Cross Country Invitational in Winneconne, Wisconsin.  The 6k race will be held at the Lake Breeze Golf Course, the site of the 2011 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.  Action is slated to get underway at 11:15 a.m. (CDT).   Some of the teams expected to participate include No. 4-ranked Washington University, No. 7 UW-Oshkosh, No. 10 Calvin College, No. 13 Hope College and No. 14 Chicago.

In its most recent outing, the Emory women, ranked No. 1 in the Southeast Region and 34^th nationally, posted a second-place finish out of 12 teams at the Jacksonville State University Foothills Invitational.  The Eagles claimed four of the top 10 and eight of the top 14 finishers led by senior Natalie Fenn who covered the 5k course in a time of 19:41, good for seventh place overall out of 98 entries.

The men’s side posted a fifth-place showing out of 11 teams at the Foothills with junior Geraint Davies pacing the contingent with an 8k time of 29:20.9, that ranked 32^nd out of 89 competitors.