Villanova University

Oct. 29, 2009

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Villanova No. 2 women's and No. 22 men's cross country squads head to Kenosha, Wis. for the 2009 BIG EAST Cross Country Championships. The meet is hosted by Marquette University on Saturday, Oct. 31 at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course.

The men's 8K race will begin at 11:00 a.m. CT, followed by the women's 6K at 11:50 a.m. CT.

The women's team looks to defend its 2008 BIG EAST title and will have an excellent chance with all but one runner returning this year and the addition of sophomore Sheila Reid and senior Nicole Schappert. The Wildcats have won both of their races this season that used team scoring, including the prestigious Bill Dellinger Invitational and Panorama Farms Invitational at Virginia. Reid is sure to be a contender on Saturday as she has claimed the individual titles in her previous two races and set new course records at each. She was also named BIG EAST Women's Athlete of the Week after the Bill Dellinger Invitational.

The Wildcats will face a tough challenge on Saturday as six other women's squads are ranked in the top-30. At No. 2, Villanova is followed by three other schools in the top 10, No. 4 West Virginia, No. 9 Georgetown and No. 10 Syracuse. No. 24 Providence and No. 30 Notre Dame round out the top 30 on the women's side for the conference.

Last year's title was the 11th overall for the women, but its first since 1998.

The men's squad has had a good 2009 campaign, finishing fifth overall at the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Oregon and third at Virginia's Panorama Farms Invite. Junior Hugo Beamish and sophomore Mat Mildenhall have emerged as leaders on the squad. Beamish was fifth in Oregon, while Mildenhall placed second in Virginia.

At the 2008 championships the men finished third as a team behind Georgetown and Notre Dame and Beamish finished sixth individually.

Five BIG EAST men's squads are ranked in the top-30 with the No. 10 Georgetown Hoyas leading the pack. Syracuse is not far behind at No. 14. No. 17 Providence, No. 22 Villanova and No. 25 Louisville make up the rest of the ranked conference schools.

The Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross County Course
More than 250,000 athletes have raced over 500,000 miles on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside's Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course. The course has hosted 28 NAIA national championships, many NCAA events and has been site of the NCAA & TAC national championships. The Parkside course has also been the home of the prestigious high school Foot Locker Midwest Regional Championships for the past 24 years.

For more information and complete results visit Championship Central