Kyle Stacks earns the award after finishing runner-up in his season debut at the Badger Opener.

The Chippewas will face their most difficult competition of the season so far at Friday's Spartan Invitational, with a showdown against men's defending MAC Champion Eastern Michigan.

Sophomore Kyle Stacks and junior Krista Parks led the Chippewas at the Badger Opener at Wisconsin.

The Chippewas will debut a number of their top runners on both the men's and women's teams when they travel to Madison, Wis., home of the defending men's national champions, for the Badger Opener.

Redshirt freshmen Nate Ghena and Alyssa Dyer paced the men's and women's teams, respectively, in the season-opening Jeff Drenth Memorial.

The men's team has been selected to finish second and the women's third in the annual Mid-American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.

The Drenth Memorial is Friday, Aug. 31 at the Pleasant Hills Golf Course. The first race is 10 a.m.

With six of the seven top runners from the 2011 team that finished runner-up at the Mid-American Conference Championships and first among all MAC teams at the Great Lakes Regional, the Chippewas have their sights set on a MAC Championship in 2012.

Included are season previews for both the men's and women's teams, and a preview of the 27th Annual Jeff Drenth Memorial.

Trips to reigning NCAA Champion Wisconsin and Big Ten foes Michigan State and Minnesota on the 2012 schedule, along with annual Jeff Drenth Memorial home meet.