WHAT'S AHEAD:  After a week off, the Drake men's cross country teams resume action focusing attention on the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship Saturday at the Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Ill. The men's 8,000-meter race will start at 10:30 a.m., followed by the women's 5,000-meter run at 11:30 a.m.

2008 MEN'S RECAP: Drake finished fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Championship in Springfield, Mo., scoring 136 points. Southern Illinois won the meet scoring, 37 points to clip runner-up Indiana State which scored 40.

Then junior Andrew Haigh (Auckland, New Zealand) was the Bulldogs' top finisher placing 19th in the 8,000-meter race in 26 minutes 7.40 seconds.

Then freshman Colin Hagan (Wichita, Kan.) was 26th in 26:22.18, while senior Leyden Tolhurst placed 28th in 26:12.59. Then Drake junior Zac Bales-Henry (Des Moines, Iowa) finished 31st in 26:28.70, while then sophomore Brandon Lewis  (Plymouth, Minn.) was 38th in 26:40.61. Other Drake results included then sophomore Mike Bumgarner  (Rosemount, Minn.) 45th, 27:02.33;  then freshman Derek Campbell (Sycamore, Ill.), 46th, (27:08.4); and sophomore Adam Oestreich (Bettendorf, Iowa),  52nd (27:35.79).

MEN'S PREVIEW: In a final tuneup before competing in the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference Championship, the Drake men's cross country team tied for fifth out of 16 teams at the sixth annual Bradley Classic Oct. 16. The Bulldogs and Northern Iowa posted identical scores of 125.

Senior Jeff Grassmeyer (Fremont, Neb.) led Drake by placing sixth out of 158 runners in the 8,000-meter race in 25 minutes 29 seconds.Drake's top five runners finished within 59 seconds of one another.  Drake sophomore Derek Campbell (Sycamore, Ill.)was 22nd in 26:04 while Colin Hagan (Wichita, Kan.) was 26th in 26:12 followed by Mike Bumgarner (Rosemount, Minn.) who was in 29th place in 26:17; and Josh Buschling (Washington, Mo.) in 42nd at 26:38.

PREMEET MEN'S POLL: Drake was picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference premeet coaches poll. Southern Illinois, earning eight first-place votes, was the choice to win the conference championship followed by Indiana State, 73 points; Illinois State 63 points; Drake 43 points; Northern Iowa 42 points; Wichita State 38 points; Bradley 34 points; Evansville 21 points and Creighton 11 points.