BOLIVAR, Mo. -- Coming off the first NCAA nationals team appearance in school history, the SBU men's cross country team is in a very unique position. The core group of seniors on that 2009 squad have left, opening the door for a number of younger athletes to step up and fill a number of spots on a team that finished 15th in last year's national championship meet.

Head coach Corey McElhaney feels his team has the depth to compete on a conference, as well as regional and national level. "Obviously on the men's side, we lost a lot last year, but I'm pretty excited about the young class we have coming in."

SBU will look to the returning runners to provide the leadership for a young team who were slotted fourth in the MIAA preseason coaches poll. Junior Will Hansen comes in as the 'Cats top returner, after his 23rd place finish in last year's MIAA Championship and finishing 16th in the NCAA regional. Along with Hansen, sophomore Phillip Miller will provide more leadership after last season's performance. "He's only been around a year, but he's got that experience being at some pretty big meets last year, he had a great year, from cross country, through indoor and outdoor track season," says McElhaney.

McElhaney feels that sophomore Ethan Knox as well as freshman Josh Inman could make an immediate impact on the team also. "Ethan was second in our time trial. Keep him healthy and he'll surprise some people this year. Josh comes from a great program in West Plains and is doing great coming in his first weeks."

After the recent success the Bearcats have enjoyed, their female counterparts are looking to improve into one of the stronger programs in the MIAA themselves. Last year, the women's team got together and made the trip to Evansville, Ind., for the NCAA national meet to cheer on the men. "When they see [the success of the men's team], it's kind of contageous. They want to be in the lime-light as well," said McElhaney. "We come in picked seventh in the MIAA preseason poll, our low goal is to get top five, but I think most of our women's team wants to try to squeeze into the top three. I think it's very doable, but it's going to take everybody being on their game and no one being injured, but it's possible."

Less than two weeks into the fall semester, and coach McElhaney sees major improvements. "Our team has really meshed and has shown a lot of team unity. It's a lot easier when you have people who buy into the program and the direction we want to go. One thing I've been telling them is that the sky is the limit. I don't think any of our returners have scratched the surface of what they can get to. They've all put in more work this summer than they ever have. Coming off of last year, placing last in the conference was kind of an eye-opener. In our team meetings, they said they didn't want that to happen again. They've done the work in the summer and they're ready to go to work now to make that right."

The 'Cats return last year's top runner, senior Rebecca Brigance, while adding redshirt freshman Christina Owensby and freshman Ashley Wolkomir, who finished first among newcomers in SBU's preseason time trial.

The Bearcats kick off the season with their first home meet in four years, the Bearcat Invitational. "We're really excited to have some teams come on campus, and letting the community come out and watch," said McElhaney about the new event. "The past four years, our team hasn't had this chance to compete in front of their peers and teachers. The more that come out the better, because that will show that this university supports them, so hopefully we have a big showing out there."

The on-campus course will start and finish near the old entrance off Springfield Avenue, south of the Sells Administrative Center. The course then follows a 1.5 mile loop that runs near the disc golf course along Aldrich Road, and the McClelland Dining Facility. The women's race is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, while the men's race will begin at 7:30 p.m.