Husker Harriers Head to Omaha for Season Opener - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

Lincoln, Neb.-- Nebraska is set to begin its cross country season Saturday in Omaha, Neb., at the Avaya Cross Country Classic.  The women will begin their 5,000-meter race at 10:30 a.m., while the men are set to compete in the 8,000-meter run at 11:15 a.m.  Six women and five men will compete for the Huskers, with several new faces among the group.  Among the competitors are teams from Iowa, Midland College, and hosts Creighton University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Senior Monica Barger will return as the most experienced member of the NU squad competing on Saturday, with sophomores Anne Shadle and Michele Steube preparing to enter their second season.  Shadle ended her outdoor track season with an impressive finish at the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Columbia, Mo., by placing sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.  Since the end of the track season, Shadle has been training for the cross country campaign in an effort to improve on her 2001 marks.

Sophomore transfer Kayte Tranel also enters her second year in cross country, with the Avaya Cross Country Classic marking her first competition as a Division I student-athlete.  While at Hastings College, Tranel competed in several meets against the Huskers, placing second at the Bearcat Distance Classic in Maryville, Mo., in last year