Lynchburg, Va. – The University of Lynchburg men's and women's cross country teams return to competition for the first time in 21 days as they travel to Cary, N.C. to compete at the Adidas XC Challenge on Friday evening.

The men's 6k is slated to begin at 5:15 p.m., while the women's 5k commences at 5:55 p.m. from WakeMed Soccer Park. Friday marks the second consecutive year that Lynchburg competes at the Adidas XC Challenge against several Division I opponents.

Lynchburg enters the meet on the men's side ranked 20th in the nation and second in the South Region. Both the men's and women's squads trail Washington & Lee in regional rankings for the top position in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

Temperatures will climb into the high 80s on Friday afternoon, though fans can expect a slightly cooler setting for the 5:15 p.m. start time. The course weaves into the woods after the initial downhill, providing the athletes with shade for a considerable portion of the race.

WakeMed Soccer Park perennially hosts the Nike Southeast Regional at the high school level, along with other local races in the Cary area. The path utilizes primarily gravel and Bermuda grass, with steady elevation changes throughout the race.

In 2024, the men's team placed 11th out of 14 teams with 317 points. Dylan McGraw led the Hornets with a 19:20.7 finish for 67th place to begin his freshman campaign, followed by Alex Paciello in 79th and Randy White in 81st.

Lynchburg's women's team finished seventh in the 14-team field with Kayla Werner placing 10th for a 17:07.6 finish.

The Hornets' opening meet of the season at Liberty University served as a workout to prepare for the remainder of the regular season. Lynchburg now enters a busier stretch with three meets in five weeks.

For live results from Friday's races, click here.

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--LYN--