On Saturday, the Illinois women’s cross country team competes in its lone home meet of the year, the Pack-It-Up Challenge, at the UI Arboretum in Urbana. The Illini look to defend their two-year title, and are ranked first in the WICCA Midwest Regional Preseason rankings.

Head coach Karen Harvey said her team has been “training right through the home meet.”

The team completed a workout on the home course on Monday and relocated at Lake of the Woods on Wednesday, “turning (their) legs over a little more,” said Harvey.

This year’s team has reloaded after the loss of senior Jamie Turilli to graduation. Last season, Turilli was a first-team, all-conference selection and finished 35th at the NCAA Championship, helping last year’s squad become the most successful team in school history, finishing 20th in the nation.

The Illini women continue to earn honors this season, as they were named 14th in the NCAA Women’s Cross Country Coaches’ Association preseason polls on Sept. 8, earning their second national ranking in program history.

“To be honest, I was a little surprised,” Harvey said of the ranking, “but I’ll take it.”

“We had a great outdoor track season, so some of that came from outdoor track. I’m pretty sure we can beat the top-20 place, and I’ll take 14th right now, but we’re going to have to earn everything. Nothing really matters right now other than training hard, that’s all that matters.”

Although the Illini add seven new freshmen to the team, only three are expected to make Harvey’s “A-team.”

“I don’t have any seniors, I have two juniors, three sophomores, and the other ones are freshmen, so it is still a young team, but I feel like there’s enough leadership,” she said. “I don’t have to have a senior; I have leaders on the team.”

Harvey said that one of the main differences from last year’s team to the current one is the amount of talent she has seen day in and day out.

“We are deeper, way deeper,” she said. “Every workout the lineup is different, my top-seven, my top-five is different; it’s constantly changing. They’re all fighting and pushing each other, it’s a much deeper pack, which is what we have to have, so I’m really pleased.”

Expected to run in tomorrow’s race and lead the team are sophomores Maggie Carroll, Rachel Hernandez and Katie Coppin.

In the 2004 home meet, Carroll finished the 5,000-meter course in third place with a time of 18:25, while Hernandez finished with a 19:09 in fifth place, and Coppin came in ninth with a time of 19:40.

Junior Lisa Phillips and freshman Jamie Kuhl are expected to round out the top-five Illini finishers. Kuhl was impressive in her Illini debut at the Hawkeye Open on Sept.1, finishing fourth overall. Standout junior Cassie Hunt and last year’s Pack it Up champion Stephanie Simms are not expected to compete.

“I’m running a few people from my ‘A-team’, and some from my ‘B-team’; it’s just a combination of some kids are running because they were injured outdoors, and I wanted them to get a race under their belt before Notre Dame. Some kids are running it just to build their confidence, so everybody has their own reason for running it,” Harvey said.

The Illini will be running against Illinois State, Loyola and Augustana College.

“It’s not going to be our starters, but it’s still going to be pretty strong, so I would expect we’re hoping to win our home meet – the only meet we have at home this year,” said volunteer assistant coach Kevin Sullivan. “We would like to come out with a win there, and I think that’s pretty doable.”

The Illini continue to work towards the Notre Dame invite in South Bend, Ind., on Sept. 30, keeping in mind their goal of staying healthy and running strong.

“Keeping the main, core group of girls healthy, that’s the biggest thing for us,” Sullivan said. “If we can consistently get them out where they’re able to train every day, and we don’t have to take days off because they are banged up, then we’re going to be pretty successful this year.”