The Chadron State College cross country teams will open their season Saturday at the South Dakota Mines Invitational Meet at Robbinsdale Park in Rapid City.

                Scott Foley, who became Chadron State’s head coach two weeks ago, said eight men and seven women are expected to run for the Eagles. The men’s 8-kilometer race will begin at 9:30 and the women’s 5k event about an hour later.

               The teams from Black Hills State are expected to join the Eagles and the Hardrockers for the opening meet.  Black Hills won both races last year while the Eagles finished second in both.

               Foley noted that both of his teams are young.  The only senior in either group is Sarah Myers of Anton, Colo., and the only juniors are Alyse Henry of Rock Springs, Wyo., and Savannah Silbaugh of Upton, Wyo.

 The men’s team has no upperclassmen and only three sophomores.

               “Both teams are young, but have promise,” Foley said.  “It will be interesting to watch their progress.”

               Henry, who was the Eagles’ pacesetter at several meets last fall and set the school record in the 3000-meter steeplechase last spring, is expected to be lead the CSC women again.

 Besides Myers and Silbaugh, others competing again this season are sophomores Catherine Orban of Newcastle, Wyo., Madi Watson of Mitchell and Emma Willadsen of Eaton, Colo.

               Freshman Sydney Settles of Lincoln has joined the team.

               Two more sophomores are on the roster, but both are coming off injuries. Foley said Whitney Riesen of Scottsbluff is expected to miss the first meet, but will should be ready to compete in the near future and Julia Eskelson of Meeker, Colo., will redshirt this season, but expects to run track in the spring.

               Foley said from what he’s observed during his short time with the Eagles, sophomore Sheldon Curley of Ganado, Ariz., will likely lead the men’s team, at least in the early races.

               Other sophomores on the roster are Colin Erickson of Bassett and Trevor Link of Fort Morgan, Colo.

               The team also has two redshirt freshmen, Tristian Old Horse of Hot Springs, S.D., and Brandt Smith of Thousand Oaks, Calif.  True freshmen launching their college careers are Jesse Jaramillo of Scottsbluff, Micheal Jaso of Yuma, Ariz., and Zen Petrosius of Seward, Alaska.

               Another freshman, Austin Kennedy of Crawford, won’t compete for a while after sustaining an ankle injury in a motorcycle mishap this summer.

               Chadron State will host its annual cross country meet on Saturday, Sept. 8.  The Chadron High Invitational Meet also will take place then.