The championships will be held at Elon University for the first time in SoCon history. The 80th annual Men's Cross Country Championships kicks off at 10 a.m., followed by the 25th annual Women's Cross Country Championships at 10:45 a.m.

Junior Trevor Sprague leads the men's team, having finished 17th at the Blue Ridge Open on Oct. 16. Sprague ran a season-best time of 25:42.20 at the UNC Charlotte Invitational on Oct. 2. Sophomore Christian Bailey will also be a strong competitor for the Cougars. He recorded a career-best time of 26:10.50 at the UNC Charlotte Invitational.

"The men sat down as a team and decided to do better this year," head coach Amy Seago said. "They made a pact to do what needs to be done to improve. Without a shadow of a doubt, they've done that this year."

On the women's side, junior Erin Stoddard holds the eigth-fastest time of the year with a 18:35.60 time in the 5k at the UNC Charlotte Invitational. Sophomore Kristen Wolfe also owns a conference top-20 time; her 18:44.00 finish at the UNC Charlotte Invitational places her 14th among SoCon runners.

"A lot of movement can be made among the teams projected to finish fifth through eighth," Seago said. "I feel like any one of these teams could change where they finish based on one runner."

Appalachian State will be the team to beat on the men's side as the Mountaineers look to grab their fourth consecutive title. The Chattanooga women's team won the 2008 title and was picked second in the coaches' preseason poll, while Samford grabbed the top preseason spot.

The championships will be streamed live on SoCon TV for the first time. Fans can sign up to watch the event at www.soconsports.com.