EVANSVILLE, Ind.--The University of Southern Indiana men's cross country opens the 2010 season Friday at the Appalachian State Mountaineer Open in Boone, North Carolina.

The Screaming Eagles are under the direction of Head Coach Mike Hillyard, who enters his 14th season at USI. Hillyard is searching for his sixth consecutive GLVC title and sixth straight appearance at the NCAA II National Championships.

USI enters the season ranked eighth, nationally, and second in the Midwest Region. USI returns its top three runners and five of its top seven from the 2009 team, which placed sixth at the NCAA II Championships.

Coach Hillyard has big expectations for juniors Dustin Emerick, Brendan Devine, and senior Andrew Dixon--USI's top three returning runners from 2009. All three finished in the top 50 in the 2009 national meet, with Emerick and Devine taking All-America honors.

The Eagles also return sophomores Michael Callison and Michael Jordan. Callison was the GLVC Freshman of the Year last fall and was one of the top steeplechase runners during the outdoor track season this past spring.

Jordan also had a strong freshman campaign in 2009-10, capturing the GLVC championship in the steeplechase and coming within three seconds of breaking the school record in the same event.

USI competes in two other meets--the Greater Louisville Classic and the Fast Cats Classic--before heading to the GLVC Championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin, November 6.