The cross country team will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., Saturday to compete in the Pre-National Invitational.

The meet is divided into three different races, with two seeded pools and one unseeded. Marquette will run in the seeded pool. Marquette's men will run against approximately 35 teams, and the women will do the same. The race includes most of the nation's best programs.

"A few of the top teams don't show, but most of them run this meet," said senior Brent Des Roches, "so it's a good opportunity to gauge where we are among the rest of the nation."

Last year, the men finished 33rd of 34 teams — an obvious disappointment, to say the least. But with Des Roches' return from an engineering co-op and the addition of junior transfer Scott Mueller, Marquette figures to finish in the top 20.

Head coach Dave Uhrich said he would be pleased with a top 15 finish.

The women finished 11th at the Pre-National meet last year. Uhrich hopes to improve on that finish, too.

"This definitely could help us get a spot at Nationals for sure should we have a good race," he said.

Senior captain Michaela Courtney has been regaining strength in practice.

She has had a month to get into shape after missing summer training, and the team must have a competitive Courtney to succeed. Otherwise, it will lack a quality No. 3 runner.

The Pre-Nationals is Marquette's second meet that counts toward qualifying for the national championship.

The NCAA evaluates four races in determining at-large bids to nationals. Thus, the meet is a pivotal juncture in the season for both teams.

Both struggled at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis on Sept. 23. As a result, they will need poised outings this weekend.

The prospects of a seventh straight trip to Nationals will look grim should the women fail to finish outside the top 10 at the Pre-Nationals.

"We're aren't panicking," said junior Cassie Peller after the Griaks. "We expect to do a lot better (at the Pre-Nationals)."

Peller and freshman Jayne Grebinski have anchored the team so far.

Now, someone else must lend support. A lineup needs three top-notch runners in cross country.

After Saturday, Marquette will have two more meets. The teams travel to Boston on Oct. 27 for the Big East Championships and then to Bowling Green, Ohio on Nov. 11 for the Great Lakes Regional.