The University of Evansville cross country teams will return to the course on Saturday in the most important meet of the year to date, as the Purple Aces will take part in the annual State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championships in Springfield, Missouri.  The meet will get underway at 12:00 p.m. with the women’s 5-K race, followed by the men’s 8-K race at 12:45.

Evansville will enter this weekend’s conference championships after two weeks of intense training.  The Purple Aces have not competed since placing seventh on the men’s side and 12th on the women’s side at the 22-team UE Invitational.

“We have had two excellent weeks of practice,” said UE head coach Don Walters.  “The last month, it has been tough to practice because we have had so many injuries on both teams, but this is the first time in a month that I can say that we are ready to go mentally.  And, that is key, because right now, 90 percent of everything is mental, as the physical base is already there to succeed.

“I am really looking forward to getting into race mode this weekend.  Across the board, I am confident that we will produce good races, and if we can keep a tight pack throughout the race, good things will happen.”

The UE men will turn once again to junior Greg Pulscher (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) to set the pace.  Pulscher has led UE in five of its six meets so far this year, and is coming off of a personal-best 8-K mark of 25:14.31 at the UE Invitational two weeks ago.  Pulscher placed 20th at last year’s State Farm MVC Championships, and has posted five Top 20 individual finishes so far this year.  Junior Brian Joyce (Evansville, Ind./Central) and sophomore Brian Denny (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) placed second and third on the UE squad at the UE Invitational two weeks ago, while posting career-best marks in the 8-K.

On the women’s side, freshman Lauren Schaftlein (Milltown, Ind./Crawford County) paced Evansville at the UE Invitational in a season-best time of 19:09.45.  Senior Franny Enzler (Evansville, Ind./Memorial) and sophomore Melissa Truex (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) have consistently raced among UE’s lead pack this year, while juniors Courtney Heller (Montgomery, Ind./Barr-Reeve) and Arrena Svoboda (Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch) and senior Megan Bowlds (Lexington, Ky./Paul Dunbar) have not been far behind.

Saturday’s meet will kick off the championship season for the Purple Aces, as UE will wrap up the 2008 season on Saturday, November 15 at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships in West Lafayette, Indiana.