The Illinois women’s cross-country team will look to earn its first ever Midwest Regional title on Saturday in Falcon Heights, Minn. For the past two years, the Illini have finished second, which ties their highest showing, achieved in 1984.

The top two teams in Saturday’s 6K race will automatically qualify for nationals on Nov. 20 in Terre Haute, Ind. Thirteen additional teams, in addition to the two teams from each of the nine regions, will receive at-large bids to be announced on Monday.

Illinois, though, is still getting used to competing at the NCAA championships. In 2004, the Illini earned their first trip to the prestigious event. The following year, Illinois had to rely on an at-large bid after a second-place tiebreaker favored Minnesota because of higher individual performances.

Recently, the Illini have not looked similar to the teams from years past. Illinois finished a disappointing fifth place at the Big Ten Championships on Oct. 29. Freshman Angela Bizzarri, though, finished in fifth place overall with a time of 20 minutes and 29 seconds, which earned her first team All-Big Ten honors.

But in order to get to the national meet for the third consecutive year, they will have to have one of their best races of the season. Sixth-ranked Minnesota and No. 23 Iowa will present challenges for the No. 13 Illinois.

“We need to focus on working together as a group,” head coach Karen Harvey said in a press release. “The girls know what they have to do to be successful in this race.”

Illinois will rely on senior co-captains Cassie Hunt and Stephanie Simms and Bizzarri. The Illini will also run juniors Rachel Hernandez and Maggie Carroll, sophomore Katie Engel and freshman Stephanie Baliga.

“This is the best we’ve looked all year,” Harvey said.