WHAT'S AHEAD:  The Drake men's cross country team will open its season hosting the annual Bulldog Classic this Friday (Sept. 3) at Ewing Park, located on the south side of Des Moines. The 4,000-meter race will begin at 2 p.m.

LAST YEAR: Then Drake sophomore Colin Hagan (Wichita, Kan.) placed third at the 2009 Bulldog Classic, covering the 4,000-meter course in 12:37. Then Drake sophomores Derek Campbell (Sycamore, Ill.) and Josh Buschling (Washington, Mo.) were fifth (12:46) and 11th (12:57), respectively. Iowa State's Dan Murray won the individual title in 12:27. Hagan also had finished fifth at the 2008 Bulldog Classic.

SIZING UP THE MEN'S TEAM: The Bulldogs return five of the eight runners who competed in the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference championship. Drake finished sixth in the 2009 MVC meet and 19th out of 30 teams in the NCAA Midwest Regional.

Juniors Derek Campbell and Colin Hagan are the team's top returning runners. Campbell led Drake at the MVC Championship by finishing 25th, while Hagan was 36th.

The Bulldogs look to fill the graduation loss of Jeff Grassmeyer who won the 5,000 at the 2007 MVC Outdoor meet.

There are 11 newcomers on the team headed by freshman Brogan Austin (Boone, Iowa) who won the 2009 Iowa Class 3A state high school individual cross country title as well as claiming the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs at the 2010 Iowa Class 3A state high schooloutdoor meet. Sophomore transfers Omet Kak (from Northern Iowa) and Tim Cornish (University of Auckland) should also make their presence known.

PRESEASON MVC POLL: Drake was tabbed to finish sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll, earning 38 points. Southern Illinois and Indiana State were picked as this year's co-preseason favorites, receiving 74 points apiece. Illinois State was picked third with 63 points followed by Wichita State (50 points), Northern Iowa (48), Drake (38), Bradley seventh (28), while Creighton and Evansville tied for ninth with 15 points apiece.