The Kent State cross country team will start its season in Columbus today for the Buckeye Invitational.

Coach Mark Croghan said the invitational will be a good opportunity for the cross country team to see where it stands against solid teams like Ohio State and Mid-American Conference rival Akron.

“We want to go out and be competitive with the other schools,” Croghan said. “We want to put ourselves in a position to have the best performance possible”

The men’s team features depth and experience, Croghan said. Seth Hutchinson is the senior captain and his leadership has helped make a well-focused team.

Four other key seniors are Ben Weitmanschen, Mike Inge, Ray Armstrong and Ryan Spellman.

Croghan said the team will flip-flop; one week a runner will be the No. 2 man and the next week he could be the No. 5 man. He also said the runners want to close the gap between them and Hutchinson as much as possible.

Seniors Stephanie Blackstone and Tiffany Brenneman are co-captains and lead the women’s team. Croghan said they would both be solid leaders providing excellent experience this season.

Both the men’s and women’s teams were projected to finish fourth in the MAC in the pre-season coaches poll.

Contact sports reporter Nate Stuart at [email protected].