KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State men’s and women’s cross country teams open the 2011 season this Friday when they travel to Nashville, Tenn., for the Belmont Opener hosted by conference foe Belmont.

Collegiate action from the Percy Warner Park will begin with the women's 4K race scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET and the men's 5K race set for 7:00 p.m. ET on the Vaughn’s Creek Cross Country Course, the site of the 2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.

The field for the meet includes conference foes Belmont and Lipscomb with Austin Peay, Brescia, Kentucky, UT Martin, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee and Vanderbilt joining the Owls. It was the Blue Raiders of MTSU that captured the men’s title in 2010 after combining for 49 total points in their first place effort while the Commodores Vanderbilt won the women’s totaling 27 points.

“This will be a great opener and a chance to evaluate our team as we compete against tough competition including in conference rivals,” Andy Eggerth, Director of Track and Field and Cross Country said. “This will also be a perfect opportunity to preview the course for the conference championship,” as the Owls look to repeat for the third consecutive year.

The Owls return as the two-time reigning A-Sun Champions after winning last seasons outdoor title at Millikin Research Park in Spartanburg, S.C. Returning for the Owls will be the teams top-three runners from 2010 as senior Jaakko Nieminen and juniors Ryan Burruss and Nabil Hamid look to lead the team to their third consecutive conference championship. Both Nabil and Nieminen were named A-Sun All-Conference Selections for their efforts in 2010.

The team debuted at No. 8 in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Regional Poll announced on Monday and again are the top-ranked team in the A-Sun conference ranked just ahead of North Florida, Belmont and Lipscomb.

The women's cross country team was picked to finish eighth in the preseason coaches’ poll. Last season, the Owls finished ninth at the A-Sun Conference Championship as a team with former Owl Mackenzie Howe winning overall A-Sun champion.

For complete coverage of the Owls cross country opener and all KSU cross country news, visit www.ksuowls.com.