After a week off from competition, the Emory men’s and women’s cross country teams resume action this Saturday (Oct. 8) when they compete in the sixth Annual JSU Foothills Invitational.  The meet will be held at the Oxford Lake & Recreation Center in Oxford, Alabama.  The men’s 8k race will commence at 9:15 am (CST) while the women’s 5k competition is slated for a 10:00 am start.  Serving as the host institution is Jacksonville State University.

Among the school’s competing in this year’s Invitational are Alabama State, Birmingham Southern, Clayton State, Columbus State, Huntingdon, Jacksonville State University, Miles, Stillman, Tennessee Tech, West Alabama and West Georgia.

In its most recent performance, the Emory women’s team, ranked No. 1 in the South/Southeast Region and 17^th among Division III programs, posted a second-place performance out of 32 teams at the Griak Invitational (Sept. 24) hosted by the University of Minnesota, totaling 110 points which placed it behind only UW-Eau Claire’s top mark of 82 points.  Emory had two top-20 finishers in the 385-runner field, led by junior Melanie Frank who covered the 6K course in a time of 23:11, good for 14th place, and senior Sabrina Jeppson whose effort of 23:16 ranked 20^th.

Still holding down the No. 1 ranking in the South/Southeast Region, the men’s side looks to continue its development.  Emory recorded an eighth-place performance out of 32 teams at the Griak Invitational.  The Eagles had a pair of top-50 harriers in the 331-runner field, led by senior Geraint Davies’ 8k time of 26:42, good for the 32^nd spot, and sophomore Hank Ashforth, who crossed the finish line in 41^st place with a showing of 26:50.