September 17, 2008
Eagles return to action Friday
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana men's and women's cross country teams return to action Friday at the Indiana Intercollegiates in Bloomington, Indiana, following a near three-week layoff.
The Screaming Eagles last competed August 30 at the Stegemoller Classic in Evansville, with the women finishing first and the men finishing second.
On Friday, the men's squad is looking to keep a tradition alive by winning its second straight Little State title. USI has won 14 of its 15 Little State crowns in back-to-back seasons, with its longest streak of championships being four (1980-83, 1985-88).
Last year's first-place finish was the first for the Eagles since 2003, when they won for the second consecutive season. USI finished fourth overall at the Indiana Intercollegiates last season, marking its second-highest finish in the 29-year history of the program—the Eagles finished third overall in 1990 and 2003.
The women's squad is looking to win its 11th Little State championship and first since 2006 after finishing second last season. USI, which finished sixth in the overall competition last season, has placed as high as third (1992, 1998) in the overall competition.
USI is ranked 20th in the latest men's top 25 poll, while the women are ranked 11th in the latest top 25 poll.
Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information
