After a tumultuous eight-month period highlighted by the men’s indoor and outdoor track & field teams’ inclusion in the July 1 athletic cuts and a summer head coaching change, the men’s and women’s cross country teams are set to unveil its season next week.

The Owls will start their season at the Appalachian State University-hosted Covered Bridge Open in Boone, North Carolina on Aug. 29. The teams’ next meet will be the Big 5 Invitational on familiar grounds in Philadelphia’s Belmont Plateau.

The Owls will run in four meets before the American Athletic Conference Championships, hosted by Tulsa University on Oct. 31, followed by the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional at Penn State on Nov. 14, for any who qualify.

This year’s eight-man men’s team is compiled of five juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen.

The women’s team has more depth, featuring 12 runners including seniors Kiersten Brown, Jenna Dubrow and Andrea Mathis. The women’s team also features five true freshmen.

-Ed LeFurge