Oct. 19, 2007

Allendale, Mich. - Heading into the GLIAC Cross Country Championships, Grand Valley's men's and women's team are looking to continue their respective streaks. The women have won six consecutive conference titles, while the men have won five straight.

"We are excited to have the opportunity to defend our GLIAC titles," said Jerry Baltes, head coach of both the men's and women's teams. "We see this as the first big step to the championship run in November."

The two teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum going into the meet. The women, ranked third in the country, have eight runners on the roster that are either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen. The men, on the other hand, are top-loaded, with six of the top eight runners being seniors.

"I know that both teams are very focused on keeping the string alive," Baltes said. "But it is also important that our younger athletes get some great experienece in a championship meet."

The women are led by Kelly Gibbons and Susie Rivard, along with defending GLIAC Freshman of the Year, Leah Borns. The men, on the other hand, are paced by Nate Peck, who has won the 8,000-meter run two years in a row and has also been named the GLIAC Runner of the Year for two consecutive years.

The meet gets underway Saturday morning at 11 a.m.