The 2013 Kent State cross country season kicks off at the Tommy Evans Invitational hosted by the University of Akron starting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

The meet will feature the Flashes’ men and women cross country teams competing in events against Akron, Youngstown State and Malone. The women’s events will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men’s events beginning at 6:15 p.m.

Led by their three seniors, the Flashes hope to start the season off with a positive finish behind a team consisting of mostly sophomores and juniors. Seniors Steve Fischer and Andrew Goodwin lead the way for the men, while senior Melinda Sawnor fronts the women’s squad.

Goodwin finished in eighth place during 2012’s Tommy Evans Invitational and posted his season-best time in the Iona Meet of Champions last season. Fischer competed in three meets in 2012, tallying his best time in an 8K race at the All-Ohio Championships.

Sawnor participated in all four meets last season, finishing the 5K race at the All-Ohio Championships with a season-best time of 18:45.90. She always ran a 22:35.7 in the 6K at the NCAA Division I Pre-National Meet.

The men’s team is coming off of a fifth place team finish at the Mid-American Conference championship on Oct 27. The women finished in ninth place at the same event behind Eastern Michigan.

Following Thursday’s meet, the Flashes will take a week off before traveling to the Bronx, New York to compete in the 2013 Iona Meet of Champions.

Contact Meghan Blaha at [email protected].