MOUNT PLEASANT - The men’s and women’s cross country teams will travel to Madison, Wis., for the Badger Opener Friday, which will serve as the debut for a number of the teams’ top runners.

The Chippewas will compete against two other teams - host Wisconsin and Edgewood College, in addition to unattached runners - at the Zimmer Championship Course, the site of the Great Lakes Regional meet later this season. Though the Badgers likely won't run their top student-athletes, the men's team is the defending national champion in cross country.

The 5k women’s race begins at 6 p.m., and the 8k men’s race starts at 6:30 p.m.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will feature seven runners, 14 in total. Making their season debuts on the women’s side will be two-time All-Mid-American Conference honoree junior Krista Parks and seniors Maddie Ribant and Veronica Garcia.

The men’s race will serve as the season debut for back-to-back first-team All-MAC senior Jason Drudge, sophomore Kyle Stacks and senior Matt Lutzke. Stacks was the top-finishing freshman in the Great Lakes Regional meet in 2011.

A recap and complete results can be found at CMUChippewas.com following the completion of the meet.