SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University men's and women's cross country teams continue the 2005 season with the annual Wittenberg Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 10, at John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Three schools - Muskingum College, Wilmington College, Central State University and Wittenberg - are scheduled to compete in the event, which starts with the men's eight-kilometer race at 10:30 a.m. and concludes with the women's five-kilometer race at 11:15 a.m.
Wittenberg kicked off the 2005 campaign with a solid race at the Franklin Invitational in Franklin, Ind., on Sept. 3. Wittenberg's men finished fourth in a tightly-bunched five-team field, led by an eighth-place finish from sophomore Mike Echols of Springfield, Ohio, the team's top runner in every race during the 2004 season as well. The women's squad took fourth place as well in an even more packed five-team competition, with freshman Erin Hedrick of Springfield, Ohio, leading the way with a seventh-place finish. Both teams had all first- and second-year collegiate runners in their top five finishers.
Muskingum's men finished eighth in the ultra-competitive 10-team 2004 Ohio Athletic Conference championship meet, while the Muskies' women placed seventh. The Wittenberg Invitational is the Muskies' 2005 season opener after an unscored alumni meet last weekend on their home course.
Wilmington's men placed seventh in that same 2004 OAC championship meet, while the Quakers' women captured eighth place. The Wittenberg Invitational is the second meet of the 2005 season for Wilmington, which will host the 2005 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional championship meet at Voice of America Park on Nov. 12. The Quakers opened with a third-place finish on the men's side and a fifth-place finish on the women's side at the Franklin Invitational.
Central State is off to a good start to its 2005 season as the men defeated Kentucky State last Saturday in a season-opening head-to-head match-up. The CSU women fell to Kentucky State.