WHAT'S AHEAD: The Drake women's cross country team will run in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championship this Saturday at the RAFT Golf Course in Augusta, Kan., hosted by Wichita State. The 5,000-meter race will start at 10:30 a.m.

LAST YEAR: Terry Phillips of Missouri State won the individual race at the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Cross Country meet with an eight second win over Bradley's Nicole Benson, but it was pre-race favorite Wichita State that claimed its fifth-straight women's team title comfortably with three top-10 finishers and all five in the first 17 across the line.

Drake junior Casey McDermott earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors after finishing ninth in the 2009 MVC Championship. McDermott covered the 5,000-meter race held at the Newman Golf Course, in 19 minutes 14 seconds.

The Bulldogs placed eighth overall with 187 points. Wichita State won the meet with 43 points. Drake junior Katie Coomer was 40th in 20:29, while senior Courtney Heinz was 42nd in 20:33. Drake junior Meredith Bell finished 45th in 20:38, while junior Lindsay Smith was 55th in 20:54 and junior Tara Scieszinski was 56th in 20:58. Drake freshman Cammy Dole finished 67th in 21:46

A LOOK BACK: Drake senior Casey McDermott (Newton, Iowa) placed second out of 184 runners in the Bradley Classic women's cross-country meet at the Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Ill., last Friday (Oct. 15).

McDermott was clocked in a personal best 21 minutes 17 seconds in the 6,000-meter race. Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Elise Sigg won the race in 21:05. McDermott helped lead the Bulldogs to eighth place in the 20-team field.

Drake senior Tara Scieszinski (Albia, Iowa) was 20th in 22:07, while senior Meredith Bell (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) placed 44th in 22:41. Drake freshman Erin Poss (Antioch, Ill.) was 53rd in 22:53 and junior Kirsten Lake (Parker, Colo.) was 71st in 23:13.