Both the AU men's and women's cross country teams started the 2011 season on Saturday morning at the Waubonsee Community College Chief Invitational with meet titles and impressive showings at the first meet of the season.

The Spartan women captured the women's meet team championship with a score of 34 and were led by sophomore Anna Perlowski and her second place overall finish with a school record time of 19:54.6. Junior Brianna Deckard finished fifth with a time of 20:22.5, sophomore Alyssa Furman and freshmen Olivia Crump and Karson Greiter rounded out the Spartans scoring in the meet. Furman finished seventh (21:00), Crump 10th (21:05) and Greiter 11th (21:30).

In the men's race, the Spartan men matched their female counterparts wit h the meet championship with 22 points. Junior Drew Schmitt led all runners (76 in total) with a time of 28:41.9 to take home medalist honors.  Following Schmitt's lead were freshman Rob Izzo (third - 30:04.8), senior Mark Sulkin (fourth - 30:07.9), freshman Brandon Miller (sixth - 30:55), freshman Nick Cole (eighth - 31:06.8), junior Morgan Goetschel (ninth - 31:15.6) and junior Dale Bolthouse (10th - 31:26) rounded out the top 10.

Next action for the men's and women's cross country teams comes on Friday, September 9, 2011 when they host the AU Spartan Classic at Oakhurst Forest Preserve. The women's 6k race begins at 5:00 p.m. with the men's 8k race at 5:45 p.m. in Aurora, Ill.