Sept. 13, 2005

Illinois' women's cross country will host the 5K Illini "Pack-It-Up" Challenge this Saturday, September 17 at the UI Arboretum in Urbana, Ill. Going into Saturday's meet ranked first in the WICCCA Midwest Regional Pre-season Rankings, the Orange and Blue will defend their two-year title.

The Illini Challenge will serve as an experience builder for the women's young team. Several runners on the Illinois roster have suffered injuries in past seasons of both cross country and track and are slaving to battle back to the front lines of competition. Saturday's meet provides an opportunity for these developing women to get an extra early race under their belts.

"Our main goal is, of course, to win at home and gain some confidence going into our bigger meets this season," head coach Karen Harvey said.

Sophomores Maggie Carroll, Rachel Hernandez and Katie Coppin are expected to lead the pack for the Illini on Saturday. Freshman Jamie Kuhl and junior Lisa Phillips are forecasted to round out the top five scorers.

The remainder of Harvey's squad will run in a time trial on the home course Friday to revive their desire for racing competition.

Illinois will be competing against the women of Illinois State University, Loyola University, and Augustana College. The women's race is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., following the men's 8k race start at 9 a.m. Complete results can be found at www.fightingillini.com following the completion of the event.