Cross Country	SIUE Women's Cross Country SIUE Men's Cross Country SIUE Athletics

October 20, 2003 Cross Country Set for GLVC Championships          All of the running and training comes down to a single race.          The Great Lakes Valley Conference Cross Country Championships begins at 11 a.m. Saturday as Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hopes to be among the leaders at the finish line.          The event will be at Belwood Park in Lockport and will be part of a larger championship. High school regional races open the day followed by the GLVC Championships. A junior meet is scheduled after the GLVC completes its meet.          SIUE coach Darryl Frerker said he likes his team’s chances in both the men’s and women’s race.          “Our preparation, knowing we did not have our best race at the Border Wars last week, makes us believe we can show well at the conference meet,” said Frerker.          In both the men’s and women’s race, the top five runners count toward the team score.          Frerker has two seniors competing in their final GLVC Championships in Nick Campbell (Charleston) and David Droege (Nashville).          “When you are a senior, it becomes a little more important,” he said.          In the women’s race, Frerker said his top three runners of Breanne Steffens (Moline), Carrie Carducci (Powell, Ohio) and Mary Witte (Normal) have been solid all year. Now will be the test to finish ahead of SIUE’s chief competition in Southern Indiana and Wisconsin-Parkside.          “The top three on all sides have been running well all year,” Frerker said.          That’s why the meet results will likely fall on the shoulders of SIUE’s fourth- and fifth-place runners in Erin McMullen (Salem) and Maria Ewersmann (St. Paul, Mo.). “Those are the positions where the points and places exchange more often,” said Frerker.                 -siue cougars-