WHAT'S AHEAD: The Drake men's cross country team will continue action this Friday, competing in the Oz Memorial at the Les Bolstad Golf Course on the University of Minnesota campus in Falcon Heights, Minn.

The Oz Memorial is named after Gary Osborn, the longtime Drake women's track and field and cross country coach who died in 2000. Osborn was a longtime friend of Minnesota coach Gary Wilson.

LAST YEAR:  Then senior Jeff Grassmeyer (Fremont, Neb.) placed eighth to pace Drake at the 2009 Oz Memorial Run, being timed in 19 minutes 33.02 seconds on the 6,000-meter course. Senior Zac Bales-Henry (Des Moines, Iowa) was 21st in 20:02.15. Drake sophomore Colin Hagan (Wichita, Kan.) was 24th in 20:07.93.

A LOOK BACK: Drake sophomore Tim Cornish (Auckland, New Zealand) paced the Drake men's cross country team in its season opener last Friday by finishing fifth in the Bulldog Classic at Ewing Park in Des Moines. Cornish was timed in 12 minutes 50 seconds for the 4,000 meter race. Iowa State's Danny Ducharme claimed the individual title in 12:38.

Drake sophomore Omet Kak, a former two-time Iowa state prep track champ from North High School in Des Moines, was seventh in 12:53. Drake freshman Brogan Austin, who won both the 1,600 and 3,200 at the 2010 Iowa Class 3A state track meet while competing for Boone, was ninth in 12:55. Drake junior Matt Jurysta (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada) was 10th in 12:56, followed by junior Charlie Lapham (Golden Valley, Minn.) 11th in 12:57, while junior Colin Hagan (Wichita, Kan.) was 12th in 12:59.