The Penn State men’s and women’s cross country teams will start their respective 2018 campaigns this Friday with the annual Lock Haven Dolan Duals. At this meet last year, the women captured the team title by claiming the top 10 spots for a perfect score. The men also tallied a perfect score to start off their season with a win.

For those unfamiliar with cross country, it differs from most sports in that the number of competitions each season is relatively small. After the Lock Haven Duals, Penn State will host and compete in the Spiked Shoe Invitational, the first true test of the season, where the women’s team hopes to win its seventh straight team title.

In late September, the teams will face national competition for the first time at the Nuttycombe Invitation hosted by Wisconsin, which serves as one of the premier meets of the season. They’ll return to compete on their home course in the Penn State National meet two weeks later. This meet annually draws high-caliber talent from all over the nation to State College.

The Big Ten Championship meet will take place on October 28 in Lincoln, Nebraska. After that, both Penn State teams will race one more time on their home course as they have the opportunity to host the Mid-Atlantic Regional meet, which serves as a qualifier for the NCAA Championship.

Following a disappointing 18th-place finish at last year’s NCAA meet, there will be opportunities for new faces and underclassmen to step up and make an impact on the women’s side — especially with the loss of 2017 graduates Jillian Hunsberger, a longtime front-runner for the team, and Greta Lindsley, who had a breakout senior season.

Elizabeth Chikotas, a fifth-year senior, will compete in her final season after redshirting in 2017. Chikotas has a strong history of being a front-runner for the Nittany Lions and finished 15th at the NCAA Championship in 2016.

Junior Danae Rivers, a standout athlete on the track, aims to improve upon her first season in 2017 and promises to be another low-point scorer for the team.

Junior Kathryn Munks and sophomore Alison Willingmyre were consistent scorers during the 2017 season. Both progressed throughout the indoor and outdoor track seasons and could be big assets to the team this fall.

For the Nittany Lion men, Colin Abert returns as the front-runner to compete in his senior season. The Easton, PA native broke the iconic four-minute mile barrier during the 2018 indoor season.

Following Abert, fifth-year senior John McGowan is the only returning scorer from the 2017 Big Ten Championship team. McGowan came in 45th at last year’s championship to round out the scoring for the men’s team, which tied for seventh overall.

The men will rely on a host of talented underclassmen to step up and fill the gaps. The team added several high school state champions to its roster this year, but these young additions will face the challenge of racing three kilometers farther than their high school distance.

The women earned a No. 1 ranking in the Mid-Atlantic Region and a No. 12 national ranking in the annual preseason ranking. The men received a No. 5 ranking in the Mid-Atlantic Region but did not break into the Top 30 national ranking. 

Both teams will start the season this Saturday, September 1 at the Lock Haven Duals.