EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The SIUE men's and women's cross country teams return home Friday, hosting the Cougar XC Challenge at the SIUE Cross Course. The women's 5k race is set to begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's 8k race at 6:15 p.m.
 
The Cougars will welcome three visiting programs to Edwardsville, with UT Martin, Chicago State, and Missouri Baptist all anticipated to compete in Friday's races.
 
The men's race will feature a strong UT Martin squad, which returns four of its top five runners from last year's Ohio Valley Conference championship team, giving the Cougars a tough challenge in their lone home meet of the fall.
 
The women's race will see a more wide-open field, with several returners from various squads having proven success at the conference level. SIUE's Erica Woodard, alongside UT Martin's Maggie Roy and Danielle Mudd, were all top-20 finishers at last season's OVC Championships.
 
Woodard enters Friday's meet following an impressive season-opening race at the SEMO Redhawk Invitational, where the junior ended with a fifth-place finish that helped the Cougars place second overall.
 
The 2026 Cougar XC Challenge marks SIUE's first home cross country meet in seven years, last hosting the John Flamer Invitational in October 2019.