Aug. 31, 2004

Wake Forest hosts Duke and High Point in the cross country season opener Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. The relay races will begin on the Water Tower entrance to the cross country course on campus. Wake Forest offers five female pairings and six male match-ups. The relay consists of teams of two from each affiliate. Each participant runs two legs of 3.7k (for men) or 2.55k (for women), for a total team distance of 14.8k/10.2k. The first runner must cross the finish line of his/her first leg before runner no.2 may proceed with his/her first leg. The athletes do this in alternating order until the pair has run four legs. "It's nice to be able to open the season at home this year," said head coach Annie Bennett. "We've been talking about this relay since May and I think we're all excited for tomorrow. It's something fun and different for our athletes. Much of our training in preseason was devoted to longer workouts and this will be the first time they are tested on their speed, so it will be a good opportunity for the coaches and the athletes to evaluate their fitness levels at this point in the season." Senior All-American Anne Bersagel will compete for the first time on home territory. Bersagel has previously not participated in early season events. Times and results can be found at www.WakeForestSports.com after the completion of the relays.