SPRINGFIELD-  Head coach Jordan Fife recently announced the schedule of meets for the upcoming 2019 cross country season.  The Bears will compete in five regular-season contests this season.
 
"We have some familiar meets and some new meets on this year's schedule," says Fife.  "With the way the calendar falls, there is an extra week of the season this year."
 
MSU kicks off the season with the Mizzou Opener, hosted by the University of Missouri on Aug. 30.  This is the inaugural year for the meet as the location of the course will be determined at a later date.
 
The Bears open up the month of September with the J.K. Gold Classic on Sept. 7.  The meet will take place at the 4 Mile Creek Resort in Augusta, Kan. with Wichita State University as the host school.
 
MSU will travel to Joplin, Mo. to compete in the Southern Stampede on Sept. 21.  The 5-kilometer race will be held at the Tom Rutledge Course.
 
Missouri State runners will compete in the Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 5 in Fayetteville, Ark.  The Bears finished fourth among Division I teams at last year's race, which is hosted by the University of Arkansas.
 
The final regular season meet has the Bears traveling to Indiana State University to participate in the Under Armour Pre-National Invitation.  As of mid-July, there are 70 Division I teams slated to compete at the meet.  LaVern Gibson Course will be the site for this 6-kilometer race, which will serve as the final tune up for the Bears before the postseason slate gets underway.
 
"The highlight of the regular season will be the Pre-Nationals meet at Indiana State," says Fife.  "This is the first time we have competed in this meet since I have been the coach at Missouri State.  I feel like we are finally prepared to compete at a meet of this size."
 
The 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Championships will be hosted by Valparaiso on Nov. 2 in Valparaiso, Ind.  Missouri State finished sixth overall and had two runners place in the top-25 at last year's race.
 
"Our main focus remains on the Missouri Valley Conference meet at Valparaiso the first week of November.  We are excited to have a chance at our best team finish in nearly a decade," says Fife.
 
Fife enters his sixth year as the head cross country coach for Missouri State.  This summer, Fife was promoted to Director of Track and Field and Cross Country after serving as the interim head track and field coach for the 2018 season.