CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- The 2001 Mid-Continent Conference Men1s and Women1s Cross Country Championships are set to take place on Saturday, October 27. The two championships, the first of the 2001-02 academic year, will be hosted by Southern Utah University at Cedar Ridge Golf Course, just north of campus in Cedar City, Utah. The men1s 8-kilometer race will begin at 10 a.m., while the women1s 6-kilometer race will start at 11 a.m. Though Southern Utah has won each of the last four men1s championships, this year1s title chase is wide open. The Thunderbirds were the preseason pick in a vote of league coaches, but only one Southern Utah runner has an 8K time that places in the league1s top ten this season (4th; Cody Moat - 25:20.00). Moat and teammate Abdul Majeed Abudu may contend for the individual title. Contenders for the league crown don1t stop at Southern Utah, however. Oral Roberts1 Omar Brooks has posted the Mid-Con1s best time in an 8K this season, covering that distance in 24:39.03 in early October. IUPUI1s Matt Schmitt (2nd; 24:53.70) leads a trio of Jaguar runners who have top ten times this season, while two-time all-conference performer Aaron Crague of Valparaiso (3rd; 24:55.00) is one of two Crusaders who have ranked among the league1s best. The parity among Mid-Con runners this season is evidenced by the fact that six different runners from six different institutions have earned Mid-Con Men1s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors this season. On the women1s side, Southern Utah has won three straight championships, and the Thunderbirds were the preseason favorite to win again this year. Two all-conference performers return for Southern Utah from last year1s team, including Jandee Anderson, who has the second-best time in a 6K race by a Mid-Con runner this season (22:31.00). Anderson is one of four Thunderbirds who rank among the league1s top ten performers this season. Last year1s Mid-Con Athlete of the Year, Oakland1s Kristie Kieffer, has been the most consistent performer in the league thus far in 2001. A two-time recipient of Mid-Con Women1s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors, Kieffer has the sixth-best 6K time in the league this year (22:52.00). Four Oral Roberts runners have times that place among the league1s best this season, including Mindy Crawford, whose time of 22:23.00 is the league1s best 6K time this year. UMKC1s Natalie Myers might also be a contender for individual title honors, as she holds the fourth-best 6K time in the league this season (22:36.00), and is a two-time Mid-Con Athlete of the Week recipient. All eight of the Mid-Con1s member institutions - Chicago State, IUPUI, UMKC, Oakland, Oral Roberts, Southern Utah, Valparaiso and Western Illinois - sponsor both men1s and women1s cross country, and will compete in this weekend1s championship.