EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana men's track and field team begins its season Friday and Saturday at the Gladstein Invitational at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

The Eagles will be lead by juniors Dustin Emerick and Andrew Dixon along with sophomores Michael Jordan and Brendan Devine.

With the plethora of distance runners and only six individuals per event at the Great Lakes Valley Conference meet in February, Head Coach Mike Hillyard believes his runners know the importance of a fast start.

With USI having just four opportunities to post qualifying marks, Hillyard has stressed the importance of proper hydration, dieting, sleep, and keeping their training amped up.

Emerick, a second-team All-GLVC honoree for his second-place finishes in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter events at the 2010 GLVC Indoor Championships, looks to be the leading distance runner for the men's squad this season. In 2009, he earned GLVC Freshman of the Year honors along with first-team All-GLVC accolades for winning the 5,000 meters and finishing third in the 3,000 meters.

Dixon finished fourth in the 5,000 meters last season at GLVC Indoor Championships and earned first-team All-GLVC honors during the outdoor season with a first-place finish in the 10,000 meters.

Jordan, who saw a lot of success during the outdoor season a year ago, earned first-team All-GLVC honors with his 3,000-meter steeplechase victory at the conference meet. He followed that with a 12th-place finish in the NCAA II Outdoor Championships.

Devine who redshirted during the 2009 season, earned a third-place finish in the 3,000 meters at the 2010 GLVC Championships, but sat out the outdoor season due to injury.

USI has three meets following this weekend's competition at Indiana University. The Indiana Relays on January 28-29, along with the Hoosier Invitational on February 5, also will be run in Bloomington. The Grand Valley State University Big Meet February 11-12 in Allendale, Michigan, will be the final tune-up for the Eagles prior to the conference championships.

The GLVC Indoor Championships are February 25-26 in Somers, Wisconsin, while the NCAA II Indoor Championships are March 11-12 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.