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SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The IUPUI men's and women's cross country teams will participate in the 58th annual Notre Dame Invitational on Friday (Oct. 4), with both squads running the Gold Races at the start of the meet. The women's 5K Gold Race will start at 2:00 p.m., followed by the men's 8K Gold Race will begin at 2:45 p.m.. The mixed open race is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.. 

The 26-team women's gold race is highlighted by No. 20 Butler and three ranked non-Division I teams, including Division II's No. 1 Grand Valley State. The Jaguars will also see Summit League foes IPFW and Western Illinois, along with major conference foes Clemson and Pittsburgh on Friday. The women's team placed third of eight Division I teams at the Indiana Intercollegiates two weeks ago, led by senior Rachel Zajac's ninth-place effort. The St. John, Ind.-product finished that 5K race in a time of 18:28.31, becoming the first-ever IUPUI runner to earn a top 10 finish at the intercollegiates meet. 

Zajac is a three-time Summit League Athlete of the Week honoree this season, winning the award after each of the Jaguars' meets this season. 

Sophomore Leah Brooks followed up with a 20th-place effort in a time of 19:02.32, just ahead of junior Jordan Hanaway's time of 19:10.38. Senior Allie DeBaker was 34th overall at 19:28.84 and freshman Savannah Turner was 50th at 19:50.83. Junior Amy Mattingly and sophomore Julie Riggins rounded out IUPUI's top seven at the statewide meet. 

This year marks the eighth time the women's program has run the Notre Dame Invitational, dating back to 2005. The Jaguars placed 11th overall in 2010 and were 12th in 2011. IUPUI ran at Notre Dame seven straight seasons before missing last year's meet. 

On the men's side, Head Coach Chuck Koeppen's team entered the Great Lakes Regional polls this week with a No. 10 ranking. The Jaguars will be among 24 teams running the Gold Race, including four ranked non-Division I teams. No. 1 North Central College and No. 3 Grand Valley State are tops among the field, while Clemson, Pittsburgh and UTSA highlight the Division I entries, along with the Jaguars.

The Jaguars took fourth at the Sept. 20 Indiana Intercollegiates, finishing just behind Purdue and Indiana State. Sophomores Joey Zielinski, Sam Roudebush and Miguel Lozano led the Jags' pack, all three finishing among the top 20. Zielinski finished the 8K race in a time of 25:33.08 while Roudebush ran 25:35.41. Lozano finished at 25:56.58 in 20th place. 

Junior Spencer Burgin was 26th overall at 26:08.18 and freshman Peyton Reed rounded out the scoring five in 31st at 26:22.76. Junior Pryce Ragains and redshirt freshman Mitch Hubner closed out the top seven, crossing at 26:24.41 and 26:27.09, respectively. 

The men's team has run the Notre Dame Invitational each of the past nine seasons, including a seventh-place finish a year ago. The Jaguars have finished in the top 10 in each of the past four years. Zielinski, a South Bend-native, was 10th last season at 25:00 and Roudebush was 36th at 25:28. Lozano and Burgin were also among IUPUI's top five, along with then-senior J.D. Smith.