The country’s top men’s and women’s cross country teams will be competing on Saturday at the fifth annual Pre-Nationals meet on the Indiana State campus. For the Fighting Illini men’s team, the athletes are ready and excited about the race.

“Our team camaraderie is high,” sophomore runner Jeremy Stevens said. “All of us are really geared toward this meet and looking to score some points toward Regionals.”

The Sycamores will be hosting two men’s races, with 39 teams in the Blue race and another 40 teams competing in the White race. Each competition will have 13 nationally ranked teams competing in the field. All together, 26 of the nation’s top 30 ranked teams will be taking their marks at the starting line in Terre Haute, Ind, on Saturday.

Illinois is looking forward to the competition and has recently been ranked fifth in the Midwest region. Although the team has had a two-week break from racing, it has been focusing on meet strategies during practice.

Coach Wendel McRaven estimates his runners have been putting in anywhere from 65 to 110 miles each week, depending on the athlete’s age and personal ability.

“As the year goes on, the goal is to peak at the Championship time,” McRaven said. “We are looking to show progress from the Notre Dame meet.”

McRaven and his athletes are looking forward to run on the Indiana State course. He said it is a permanent cross country course and very fair for all competitors.

Even though the recent drop in temperature is affecting students at Illinois, the cross country team is embracing the new weather pattern.

“Running in cold weather, everyone races better,” Stevens said. “Cross country isn’t like sprinting. The cold weather doesn’t affect how your muscles work.”

Stevens is not exactly sure how the science behind muscle pulls, tears and strains during cold weather works, but McRaven believes Saturday will be “perfect weather” for a cross country race.

As the season winds down, the team still has the same focus for its final races.

“The team is bonding really well, and it will help in the end of the season,” Stevens said. “We care more this year, and we are all striving toward the same goal.”

The Orange and Blue’s main goal this weekend is to have a positive experience and continuing to show improvement.

“We want to go into the Championship part of the season with confidence and go on to bigger and better things,” McRaven said.

The Pre-Nationals meet will begin at 11 a.m. with the Blue race. Illinois, competing in the White race, will take its mark at 11:40 a.m. on Saturday.

Once the team returns to campus, it will have another two-week meet drought to prepare for the Big Ten Championships slated for Oct. 28, hosted by Ohio State.