The Fighting Illini men’s and women’s cross country teams are coming off of two very different Big Ten Championship meets – a disappointment for the men, a success for the women – as they prepare for the final regular season competition.

Saturday, the Illini will travel to Bradley University in Peoria for the NCAA Midwest Regional meet.

In a field of 25 men’s teams and 28 women’s teams, the meet will decide the teams and individuals who will qualify for Nationals. By claiming first or second, a team is guaranteed a Nationals bid, and the third place finisher could receive an at-large bid. Before either team can concentrate on Nationals, though, they must capitalize on this weekend.

“It’s an opportunity for us,” men’s head coach Wendel McRaven said. “After the Big Ten meet, we ran not as well as we had hoped to run, so this gives us another opportunity to prove to ourselves, prove to others we are as good as we think we are.”

After placing sixth in the annual conference meet, the men are not worried about the past, but instead are focusing on the present.

“This is what we’ve been building up to all season,” senior Michael Kelley said. “We are ready to go. This is the point where you’ve done all the work and all the hard stuff and now you are ready to just show what you’ve done over the last nine months.”

As the men hope for a top-three finish to qualify for Nationals, the women plan to climb in the national rankings. The No. 12 Illini compete in what sophomore Stephanie Baliga calls the “strongest conference for women’s cross (country).”

Finishing fourth at the Big Ten meet was an accomplishment for the team as seven conference foes all boast national rankings. But the strength of the conference does not intimidate Baliga or her teammates.

“(Big Ten champion) Minnesota should watch out for us,” Baliga said.

In preparation for the final stretch of the season, both Illini squads have been cutting back on their weekly mileage and have been completing shorter, faster workouts in hopes of staying fresh and ready for their final challenges.

Because the Midwest Regional dictates if either team’s season will continue, both teams are pleased with the progress they have shown throughout the year.

“Our team has been really solid and really good friends,” Baliga said. “We haven’t had our best race as a team yet and we are hoping it happens this weekend.”

If either team qualifies for the National meet, the race will be held Nov. 19 on the Indiana State campus in Terre Haute, Ind.

The Midwest Regional will showcase the best teams in Illinois and surrounding states and is viewed as a home meet because of the Illini’s close proximity to Peoria. The men will report to the starting line at 11 a.m, with the women taking their mark at 12:15 p.m.