The Montana State cross country teams will open their 2010 slate on Saturday with the Bozeman Running Co. – MSU Invitational at Bridger Creek Golf Course. The men's five-mile race will start at 9 a.m., followed by the women's three-mile event at 9:45 a.m.

Competing in the NCAA Division I race will be MSU, Idaho State, Montana, Utah (women), Utah State, Utah Valley and Weber State. Racing in the small college category will be Carroll College, Great Falls, Gillette, MSU Billings, Rocky Mountain, Westminster and South Dakota School of Mines.

“We're excited to race,” said MSU head coach Dale Kennedy. “Both teams have great potential and I'm anxious to see how things shake-out. We'll be running against some of the strongest teams in the region and this will gives us a great look at what we have.”

The Bobcat men's team, who was picked to finish second in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches poll, are currently ranked sixth in the Mountain Region. MSU will be paced by All American Patrick Casey and senior Nick Atwood.

“We have two very strong frontrunners,” Kennedy said. “Our success will rely heavily on the chase pack of Dan Jackson, Carl Nystuen, Seth Grossman, Jacob Kirk, Trevor Polson and Tyler Noland. If we can get five guys 20-seconds behind Casey and Atwood, we will have had a great race.”

Utah State, who is ranked No. 8 in the Mountain Region, along with Montana and Weber State will look to upend the Bobcats.

“Utah State will be tough to beat,” Kennedy said. “They beat us at the Mountain Region championship, last fall. Both Montana and Weber State also have strong kids and veteran runners.”

The women's race will boast five teams ranked in the Mountain Region's top 15, including Weber State (9), Montana (10), Utah Valley (11), Idaho State (12) and Utah (15).

The Bobcat women were ranked sixth in the Big Sky preseason coaches' poll.

“We are a bit of an unknown,” Kennedy said. “People are familiar with our top runner in Heather Haug, but after that we have a lot of new faces.”

According to Kennedy, he expects freshmen Heather Demorest (Darby) and Keely West (Great Falls) to run along-side Haug.

MSU's second pack will consist of Lauren Kuennen, who returns to the line-up following a year off, Annelise Weinmann, Rebecca Sorenson and Tara Will.

“Like the guys, the women's success will lay with how closely the second pack can follow our frontrunners,” Kennedy said. “We're nursing some injuries, but I'm really excited about the potential of the women's team and look forward to how they progress this season.”

Other members of MSU's women's squad include Sierra Kamplain and Elizabeth Narigon.