KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Owls men’s and women’s cross country announced their upcoming schedule for the fall of 2010 on Friday, with the squads racing in some of the top meets in the south.

The men and women, which finished first and second in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships, respectively, in 2009, are entering their second season of NCAA Division I Championship eligibility, and are making their presence felt with the schedule that they have put together. Their fall slate includes trips to meets hosted by Louisville, Florida State and Clemson or Alabama. They will race in five meets prior to the A-Sun Championships, hosted by USC Upstate in Spartanburg, Ala., on October 30. The squads competed in six meets prior to the conference championship last season.

“We’ve put together a schedule that’s leaner and meaner this season,” said Owls head coach Stan Sims, who was named the A-Sun Men’s Coach of the Year in 2009. “We’re really looking forward to running at places like Florida State and Louisville this fall. Louisville has year-in and year-out had some of the best teams in the south run there, and we really want to put our men and women up against the best our region has to offer.”

The Owls’ schedule includes two trips to Florida State, first with the NCAA South Region Preview on October 9, and next with the NCAA South Region Championships on November 13. Coach Sims had his team run at Alabama’s Crimson Classic last season, which served as the NCAA South Region Preview, and was happy with the opportunity that it afforded his runners to become familiar with the course that would the region championships.

“Having gone to Tuscaloosa (Ala.) in September last year really helped our runners in terms of knowing what to expect when it came time for Regions,” said Sims, whose men finished eighth in the South Region, and where Mackenzie Howe finished 18th in the Region Championship after winning the Crimson Classic. “The competition is extremely challenging, and it’s even more so if you haven’t seen the course in a competitive setting beforehand.”

Sims and his squads kick-off the season on September 3 at the JSU Cross Country Invitational in Jacksonville, Ala. They are slated to host the Second Annual KSU Owl Invitational on Friday, October 22.

Kennesaw State Owls Men's and Women's Cross Country- 2010 Schedule

Sept.  3                 JSU Cross Country Invitational, Jacksonville, Ala.

Sept. 17                Clemson Cross Country Invitational

                                                            or

Sept. 18                Crimson Classic XC Invitational, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Oct.   2                 Greater Louisville Classic, Louisville, Ky.

Oct. 9                   NCAA Region Preview, Florida St., Tallahassee, Fla.

Oct. 22                 KSU Owl Invitational, Kennesaw State, Kennesaw, Ga.

Oct 30                  A-Sun XC Championships, USC Upstate, Spartanburg, S.C.

Nov. 13                NCAA South Region XC Championships, Florida St., Tallahassee, Fla.