JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The FGCU men's and women's cross country programs will toe the starting line for the first time this season at the UNF Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 5, at the Hayt Golf Center in Jacksonville, Fla. The men's 8K is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. followed by the women's 5K at 8:15 a.m., on the course which will play host to the 2015 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship meet in October.

"We are looking forward to getting the season started this weekend and the opportunity to preview the conference championship course," said FGCU head coach Cassandra Goodson. "On the men's side, we aren't racing a few of our top runners, but we're looking forward to seeing who steps up. The women are racing with a full squad and they'll be working on running strong as a team."

In last year's opening meet at the Stetson Hatter Invite, the Eagles got the season off on the right foot as the women's team finished first, while the men finished third. Individually, both Nathan Kandie (Iten, Kenya/University of Arizona) and dual-sport athlete Brooke Sill crossed the finish line before any of their respective counterparts.

This year's UNF Invitational will feature a seven-team field, including conference foes Kennesaw State, host UNF, Stetson and preseason conference favorite Lipscomb. Joining the four A-Sun teams are Flagler and Florida A&M.

In the A-Sun Cross Country Preseason Poll, released by the league office in August, both FGCU programs were picked to finish third in the upcoming conference championship meet. A season ago, the men and women turned in program-best finishes in the event after placing fourth and third, respectively.

On the men's side, FGCU returns more experience than ever before heading into the 2015 season. Sophomore Troy Clark (Mount Dora, Fla./Mt. Dora Bible HS) returns as the top runner for the Green and Blue after turning in four of the team's top five times in 2014, including a personal-best 8K time of 25:32.84 at the UF Mountain Dew Invitational. Clark finished first among Eagle runners on four occasions in 2014, including a team-best 13th-place finish at the A-Sun Conference Championship with a time of 25:49.62. With a crop of upperclassmen joining Clark, the Eagles will look to live up to their preseason ranking and crack the conference's top-three for the first time in program history.

Similarly, the women expect to build off their program-best 2014 campaign as they stride into the new season. Senior Lauren Tarovisky (Wheeling, W.Va./Morehead State University) looks to fill the void left by Sill's departure and lead the Green and Blue to back-to-back top-three conference finishes. Tarovisky, a transfer from Morehead State University in 2013, turned in a personal-best 5K time of 18:32.68 and finished 19th at the 2014 A-Sun Conference Championship. She was the first Eagle to cross the finish line at the NCAA Southeast Regional and finished a team-best 19th at the FSU Seminole Invitational in a time of 18:45.31. The senior will be joined by a blend of both new and familiar faces looking to contribute during what hopes to be another successful season.

After competing in Jacksonville this weekend, the Eagles will return to Fort Myers to begin preparing for the UF Mountain Dew Invite on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Gainesville, Fla.

FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of FGCU men's and women's cross country this season, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_XC and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com.

COACH GOODSON
FGCU is led by Cassandra Goodson, whose seven seasons at the helm have taken the Eagles from their humble beginnings to a competitive D-I program, highlighted by three trips to the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship. Every mark in the FGCU all-time record book has been etched during the Goodson era, as she has coached nine A-Sun All-Conference selections, the 2013 Female Conference Runner of the Year and two members of the NCAA South All-Region Team.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE 
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.