The meet is being ran at Jones Park in Emporia and the women's 6k race begins at 10:30 am, with the men's 8k to follow at 11:15 am.

The Southern women come into the event as the third ranked team in Division II and have held the top spot in the South Central Region rankings all season. The Lions have yet to lose to a Division II squad this season, falling only to Arkansas in the season opening dual and at the Southern Stampede, then finishing fifth behind four Division I schools at the Oklahoma State Jamboree. Southern won the inaugural GLVC/MIAA Challenge two weeks ago in Rolla.

The women will look to win their fourth MIAA cross country title in a row and senior Kimi Shank is looking to repeat as individual champion after finishing second as a sophomore in 2007. Between Shank and freshman Ashley Siler, the Lions' women have won every MIAA Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week award this season in a week the Lions have competed in (Shank - 3/Siler - 1).

This meet will involve two other nationally ranked teams as Truman is 16th and Pittsburg State is 20th.

The Southern men come into the meet ranked 13th in Division II and are the second ranked team in the South Central Regional rankings. Central Missouri is ranked just one spot in front of the Lions in both the national and regional poll, as Pittsburg State and Southwest Baptist are also in the top 25 with the Gorillas coming in at 19 and the Bearcats at 20.

The Lions have won all but two MIAA cross country titles in this decade (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007) with only 2004 and last season being the exceptions and look to get back to their winning tradition. The Lions finished fourth at the Southern Stampede this season and 10th at the OSU Jamboree, with both times, just two Division II teams placing in front of them. Southern recently took home the title at the GLVC/MIAA Challenge at Missouri S&T.

Following this race, both teams will head to the NCAA Division II regional race on November 7 at host Abilene Christian.