In less than two weeks the Drake University cross country teams will step up to the starting line to open their 2014 season at the annual Bulldog Classic on Aug. 29 at Ewing Park on the south side of Des Moines.
The 4-kilometer race will serve as the Bulldogs' first opportunity to test themselves and evaluate their current fitness level. However, this year's field – which includes Iowa, Iowa State, UNI and Creighton – will the give the squad a better benchmark of where they are at.
“It's a low-key way to start the season but will be a good test to see where our fitness level is at,” said Drake head coach Dan Hostager. “We focus more on training than racing early in the season, but part of that fitness and training is getting races under your belt.”
The Bulldog Classic opens what promises to be a challenging schedule that includes nine races. Following the opener the squad will travel to Minneapolis, Minn., for the Oz Memorial on Sept. 5. The team returns to the Twin Cities on Sept. 27 for the Roy Griak Invitational after competing in Des Moines on Sept. 20 at the Grand View Invite.
Two of the most competitive meets in the nation follow with the Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 4 in Fayetteville, Ark., and the Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind., on Oct. 18.
“We've got a good, competitive schedule with Pre-Nationals and Arkansas,” Hostager said. “That is something you can do with a veteran squad and it raises the bar a little bit higher for the freshmen.”
That veteran squad includes Brogan Austin (Boone, Iowa) and NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships qualifier Rob McCann (Mississauga, Ontario) on the men's side plus Emma Huston (Des Moines, Iowa) and Taylor Scholl (Prior Lake, Minn.) on the women's squad.
“We're certainly excited to start the season, we have a solid group of veterans and the way they finished the track season and are looking forward to the fall,” Hostager said. “It'll take a few weeks to get where we need to be, but we jump right in with a couple of meets that will be nice to get everyone up and running.”
As part of the lead-up to the 2014 season, the Missouri Valley Conference released its annual preseason poll. The Drake women's team was tabbed seventh in the 10-team league with 40 total point. SIU was the preseason favorite with 95 points and six first-place votes. Drake's men's team was picked eighth in the nine-team league with 26 points. SIU was also the men's preseason favorite with 67 points and three first-place votes.
The season-opening 4K Bulldog Classic is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. on Aug. 29 with the men's race following at 5:45 p.m. Fans planning on attending should note that due to road construction near Ewing Park, the park can only be accessed via Southeast 14th Street to McKinley Ave. eastbound.
