FORT MYERS, Fla.  – The Florida Gulf Coast University women's cross country team looks to continue its early season success when it competes in the seven-team Florida Tech Cross Country Invitational at Wickham Park in Melbourne, Fla. at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday.

Coming off a third-place finish at the Saint Leo Invitational 5-K, the Eagles will compete in a 5-K race against Webber International, Palm Beach Atlantic, Nova Southeastern, Rollins, Embry-Riddle and Florida Tech.

This is the third time in four seasons the Eagles have competed in this event. FGCU was fourth of five teams in 2003 and fifth of five teams in the 2002 race. But this is a new group of Eagles. Only two runners - senior Antoinette Savino (Largo, Fla.) and junior Lindsey Garven (Oviedo, Fla.) – remain from the 2003 roster.

Last week the top-five Eagles were all among the top-22 finishers last week. Junior Katy Steffan (Naples, Fla.) and sophomore Cadie Sly (Loxahatchee, Fla.) placed 13th and 14th respectively in sub-21 minutes. Freshman April Ward (North Fort Myers, Fla.) finished 18th overall.
 
Garven, freshman Cindy Watson (Fort Myers, Fla.), freshman transfer Lyndsey Kelly (Cape Coral, Fla.) and freshman Marie Scarpantonio (North Fort Myers, Fla.) were all within 33 seconds of each other.

Following this weekend's invitational, the Eagles have a week off before returning to the trails for the Embry-Riddle Invitational in Daytona Beach on September 24.