View Complete 2009 USF Cross Country Schedule

TAMPA – Head coach Warren Bye, assistant coach Dena Reif and the University of South Florida cross country team announced their 2009 schedule, with several top-notch invitationals on tap for the Bulls this season.

“We are pleased with the schedule we've put together for the 2009 season,” said Bye. “For a good portion of our schedule we will be competing every other weekend, which sets us up well with our training.

“Our kids have trained hard over the summer, so we are excited to get out there and see where we stand.”

USF gets its campaign underway Sept. 4, as the team will make the short trip south on I-75 and compete in the closest meet from home for the season at the University of Tampa Invitational in Brandon, Fla. The women will look to make a strong statement as they did in 2008, when the team won the first meet of the season at the UCF Black & Gold Challenge.

The Bulls then head to the Mountain Dew Invitational Sept. 18 in Gainesville, Fla., for the fourth year in a row. The women will attempt to capture the title after taking second last season, while the men will try to best last season's eighth-place finish.

The team will return to action two weeks later, as the Bulls head up north to Pennsylvania to compete in the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh Oct. 2.

The squad stays close to home for the next two meets, as the Bulls will face stiff competition and compete for the third year in a row at the Disney Invitational in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 10, as the women look to capture the title after last year's third place finish. USF follows that up with the Stetson Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 17.

Following a two-week break, USF will head north again to race in the BIG EAST Championships Oct. 31 in Kenosha, Wis. The women took 10th, while the men finished 14th at last year's race in New York.

Rounding out the season, the Bulls will attempt to make a statement at the NCAA Regional Nov. 14 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and qualify individuals for the NCAA Championships Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind.