BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - WKU men's cross country will open the 2015 season against a tough regional list of opponents on Saturday at the Belmont Opener at Warner Park in Nashville, Tenn.
The Hilltoppers will run the 5,000-meter course starting at 9 a.m. CT, competing against nine other schools. Of the teams participating, Belmont (13), Lipscomb (9) and C-USA foe Middle Tennessee (4) are all ranked in the USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings for the South Region.
"Nashville is only an hour for us, and it's a fairly familiar course for us," said head coach Erik Jenkins. "It gives us an opportunity to not have to travel as far and still have quality competition. Obviously, for the fans to be able to come out and see the men and the women over the years at a place that is so close to us, it always helps out."
In last season's race, WKU picked up a Top 5 finish by placing fourth, the best team finish for the Hilltoppers last year. Returning runner Aaron Stevens notched a Top 35 placement in the event last year to earn his highest final position of the 2015 season. Endalow Takele will also look to build off his campaign last year that saw him place 32nd at the 2014 Conference USA Cross Country Championships.
"We've got a young team, but I expect them to go out and compete. We return Endalow Takele and Aaron Stevens, but the rest are newcomers. We expect guys like Endalow and Aaron to be leaders for us throughout the year and for the other guys to work their way into being guys that can score for us," Jenkins said.
The WKU women's cross country team will open its season on Friday, Sept. 11, at the Forest Park Cross Country Festival in St. Louis.
Live results from the Belmont Opener will be posted at cfpitiming.com at the conclusion of the race.
