Aug. 30, 2001

Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Tulsa cross country teams will open their 2001 campaigns on Friday at Mohawk Park in the seventh annual Hurricane Cross Country Festival.

Teams from Arkansas Tech, Bacone College, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will also compete in the college meets. The women will race at 6:30 p.m. with the men following starting at approximately 7:00 p.m. The women will make the 2-mile loop once, while the men will face a 4-mile race on the fast flat mixed grass field.

There is an unlimited team size with the top five scores counting toward the team standings.

In addition to the collegiate event, will be high school and junior high school events. Five separate races will be held for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and middle school runners. The girls will have a one-mile course, with the boys having a two-mile race.

"We are really excited to kick the season off," said TU's head coach Steve Gulley. "Our runners are further ahead this season than they were at this time last year. That is great to see the kind of shape they are in after their summer of training. Everyone is on the same page now as to training philospy running style, etc. Now the question we need to answer is how much we have matured from last year. This festival should give us the answers we need."