Sept. 23, 2004

The Saint Louis University cross country teams will host the sixth annual "Cross Country-Only" National Championship this Sat., Sept. 25, in Edwardsville, Ill. The women's 6K race will start at 9:15 a.m., and the men's 8K race will be at 10 a.m. The name of the event comes from the fact that the participating schools sponsor a cross country program without the support of a track and field program.

The 2004 meet will be the sixth edition of the race and marks the third time the event has been hosted in Edwardsville. Last season, Creighton won the women's team title, and Dayton claimed the men's team championship. In the 2003 event, both the Billiken men's and women's finished sixth in the team standings.

There are 12 schools running in the men's race, while there are 10 programs on the women's side. Participating teams this year are: Austin Peay (men only), Blackburn (Ill.), Bradley (men only) Creighton, Edgewood (Wis.) Evansville, Fort Lewis (Kan.), IUPUI, Lake Forest (Ill.), Saint Louis, Wayne State (Mich.) and Wisconsin-Green Bay.