FREDERICK, Md.--The Hood College men's and women's cross country teams are gearing up to travel to Winter Place Park in Salisbury, Md., for their first-ever Capital Athletic Conference championship Saturday hosted by Salisbury University.

The men's and women's cross country teams entered their fourth season of varsity competition back in September and will be competing in the program's inaugural conference championship Saturday.

In 2003, the first year of the Hood cross country program, the Blazer men competed at this very course. Senior Robert Mitchell was Hood's top finisher that day. Head coach Brent Ayer has more than doubled his rosters since then and anticipates rewriting the school record books this weekend on a fast course against nine other quality programs.

The Blazer men have been paced by freshman William Andrews who set the school record (28:06) at this course earlier this fall. Recognized by the CAC as the "Athlete of the Week" on Oct. 23, the native of Walkersville, Md., was the squad's top finisher in Hood's last four consecutive races and owns four of the top 20 times recorded in Blazer history. In addition, junior Faraz Shoai, a product of Gov. Thomas Johnson High School, has turned in some outstanding times this fall and should lower his personal best this weekend as well.

Sophomore Danielle Sgro has crossed the tape in each of Hood's seven races this season and was also recognized as the CAC "Athlete of the Week" after leading the Blazers to the Hood AWCC Challenge and Invitational title two weeks ago. The native of Indiana, Pa., set the standard for the women's squad at Winter Place Park in a time of 23:52.

The host Sea Gulls are the defending conference champions on both the men's and women's side. The men's race is set to begin at 11 a.m. with the women's race getting underway at Noon. The top 15 finishers in each race will be declared all-conference selections. Hood will be entering 15 men and 11 women into Saturday's competition.