CLINTON, Iowa - Ashford University men's and women's cross country Head Coach Tyson Graham was pleased to announce he has compiled his schedule of events for the upcoming fall season.

Anticipation is running high for Graham and the emerging Saints' programs, which are scheduled to field their first ever home event and also play host to the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships in early November.

A home course is currently being plotted out in the midst of artificial turf soccer field and track and field construction at Ashford's South Campus, the former Clinton Country Club.

"Our cross country schedule this year provides us with some meets that we should do fairly well at as a team," Graham said. "We are especially excited about hosting our first meet. I have been diligently working on a course that will be both challenger and viewer friendly."

The Saints tentatively open their season on Saturday, Aug. 28, heading to the Harper Hawks Invitational in Palatine, Ill.

After a few projected highly-competitive meets that features NCAA Div. I competition, including the Iowa Intercollegiate Championships at Iowa State University, Ashford will host its first-ever cross country event on Oct. 9.

Ashford then heads to Bettendorf where St. Ambrose University hosts the Fighting Bee Invitational in late October before spending some time priming for the crucial MCC Championships on Saturday, Nov. 6.

The NAIA National Championships cap off the season in Vancouver, Wash., where to-be senior standout national qualifier Andrew Drinkall of Hooppole, Ill., has experience after enjoying a stellar junior campaign last fall.

"With record numbers on our rosters this year, I am looking forward to a great season," Graham said. "Expectations are higher than ever and we want to perform well on the home course and ‘defend our territory'."

A link to the Ashford men's and women's cross country schedules can be found here.