SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse University cross country teams will head to University Park, Pa. to participate in the Penn State National meet on Saturday, October 16. The 14th-ranked men will compete in an 8k race at 10 a.m. and the 7th-ranked women will run in the 6k event at 10:45 a.m.

Syracuse will be one of three nationally ranked opponents in attendance at the Blue and White Cross Country Course. On the men's side, the nationally ranked Orange will be joined by Penn State, who is ranked 23rd. The women will be challenged by first-ranked Villanova, the highest ranked team in the BIG EAST, and the 30th-ranked Nittany Lions. Three of the BIG EAST opponents that Syracuse will face in the BIG EAST Championship on October 30 will be competing, including Pittsburgh, South Florida and Villanova.

The Orange will have one more tune up to prepare for the BIG EAST Championship at the John Reif Memorial meet at Cornell on October 23. Syracuse will host its first BIG EAST Championship in program history on October 30 at Jamesville Beach Park. The men have their eye on repeating as champions, while the women look to improve on their program-best third-place finish in 2009.