GRAND FORKS, N.D.--The University of North Dakota men's cross country team will open the 2009 season on Saturday when it hosts the annual Ron Pynn Classic at the Ray Richards Golf Course in Grand Forks.
The 8K meet begins at 10 a.m. and is a double-dual that also includes South Dakota State and North Florida.
UNF was ranked fourth in the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason coaches' poll while SDSU was picked fifth in the Summit League preseason coaches' poll.
The Fighting Sioux enter the season ranked seventh in the 2009 Great West Conference preseason coaches' poll.
Mike Grandall enters his 28th season as Sioux head coach and is the longest-tenured coach on the UND athletics coaching staff.
Grandall welcomes back five letterwinners from last year's team that placed sixth at the conference championship in its first year as a Division I program. Senior Kyle Rosseau (Eagan, Minn.) is the top returning runner after a 2008 season in which he was UND's top finisher in all six meets and was named the team's most valuable runner.
Other returning letterwinners for the Sioux include senior: Jeremy Jones (Grand Forks, N.D.); juniors Cory Absey (Grand Forks, N.D.), Joss Blatherwick (Bottineau, N.D.), Josh LaBlanc (International Falls, Minn.) and Michael Warweg (Rosemount, Minn.); and sophomores Tyler Rose (Baxter, Minn.) and Carl Sedgeman (Sauk Centre, Minn.).
- Go Sioux -
