The women’s cross country team will travel to UW-Oshkosh this Saturday to face the Titans and the UW-Stevens Point Pointers.

“Everybody’s practicing really hard,” said freshman Sara Pavek. “We really want to beat Oshkosh. Everybody’s pumped up.”

Last year the Blugolds didn’t beat either team.

“Revenge is a motivational tool,” said coach Tracy Yengo. “This meet will help us meet our goal, to finish in the top three in conference.”

The Blugolds feel confident that they will be able to overtake both teams despite last year’s performances.

“We’re totally confident,” said sophomore Melissa Wright. “We know we’re gonna beat them.”

All three teams are members of the WIAC. They will face each other again in the WIAC conference meet later in the fall.

“It’s an advantage seeing them,” said Yengo. “We can learn to play on their weaknesses. It’s a great September meet.”

Eau Claire took fourth place in an 11 team meet Saturday. The meet was the Lester Park invitational and was held at the Lester Park Golf Course in Duluth, Minn.

Northern Michigan University, a Div. II team, took first place with a score of 30. Host University of Minnesota-Duluth was second with 73. Michigan Tech finished third.

The Blugolds tied St. Scholastica (Minn.) for fourth place with 114. Lakehead University (Ontario) finished with 174 to take sixth place.

Wright finished the 5,000-meter race first for Eau Claire. Sophomore Nikki Johnson finished 15th at 20:36.2. Freshman Nicole Zeug was 25th with a time of 21:02.7, while freshman Abby Nelson finished one spot back in 26th place in a time of 21:04.5.

A total of 152 runners completed the race.

“The freshmen ran really well,” said Yengo. “It was a great opener. We ran really well as a whole. They put no teams on a pedestal. We won’t be intimidated by any particular team. Youth is an advantage (in that way).”

Fourteen of the 19 members of the team are in their first year of eligibility.

“They need to learn college running, learn 5 kilometer not 2.5 kilometer. It’s not taking them long.” Wright said. “We did well for the first meet. We did well for a hilly course.”

Wright is recovering from mononucleosis which she had in July.

“I’m over the sickness,” said Wright. “The coach is looking over me. My practices are easier. That ends soon. I can’t wait.”