Oct. 1, 2009

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - After having a weekend off of competition, the men's cross country team will be back in action this Saturday for the first annual Wisconsin Inter-Regional meet in Madison, Wis. The squad is set to race at 11:00 a.m. against a field of 15, including Big Ten rivals Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.

For the first time all season, the Orange and Blue will be at full strength, racing a roster of 12. The squad aims to put themselves in a position to achieve the goals that they have set for the 2009 season in their first big race of the year.

"I specifically wanted to go to this meet because I felt that one of this caliber and size would more closely resemble the type of race we will see at the Big Ten Championships," cross country coach Wendel McRaven said. "You have some of the best teams and programs in the country, so you have to be ready to compete and keep your composure in such a high intensity situation."

Sophomores Chris DeSilva and Jim Riddle will be making their debuts this weekend, looking to add to the Illini mix. The squad has used the first few meets of the season to gain exposure to racing without going full force. This weekend, the Illini are set to race a full squad and at their full potential.

"This is the first time this season that we have given our guys the `green light' to race from the gun," McRaven said. "I expect that we will engage in the race competitively and work on some things that we will want to do at the Big Ten meet. This is our first real test to see where we are as a team."

The men's 8K race is set to begin at 11:00 a.m., with the women's 5K following immediately afterward. Full results will be available on fightingillini.com after the meet.

The Illini will have next weekend off before the squad splits up to race at the Bradley Classic on Oct. 16 and the Pre-Nationals Invitational on Oct. 17.