JACKSONVILLE, Ala.-- Jacksonville State's cross country team is set to run at the Ohio Valley Conference meet at Martin, Tennessee.

The University of Tennessee at Martin will play host to the championships, which will be held on the UT Martin campus, beginning with the women's 5,000-meter race at 9:00 a.m. (CST) and followed by the men's 8,000-meter competition at 9:45 a.m. (CST).

"We are very excited about this weekend's meet. This is the meet we set our goals around at the start of the year," JSU head coach Heath Dudley. "From where we have started from one and a years ago. We have made great strides to have the best conference meet on both sides with the men and women the program has ever had."

JSU's women are coming off its best finish this season, finishing fourth at the MSU Short Course Invite. Jax State was led by Megan Ziark in 13th place with a time of 11:17:06

"For the women we always want to have the mindset of trying to win every meet, but with a very young women's squad we want to put ourselves in a position to be in the top half of the conference," said Dudley. "If we accomplish this with this group it would be like winning the conference and give us the boost to shoot for the title next year. Again with the leadership that Emily Hulse and Mackenzie Hays give us from being upperclassmen we are heading in the right direction. Megan Ziarek is running really well and it would not be a surprise if she places in the top 15 for all-conference."

JSU's men are ranked ninth in the United States Cross Country Coaches Association South Region Poll.

"On the men's side we feel this could be a meet that sets the stage for this program to go to the next level. I feel we are a top three team in the conference with trying to chase Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky who are head and shoulders above the rest of the field," Dudley said. "It would take a career day by all of our guys to beat anyone of these two teams. Our goal from day one revolves around this meet. We have a couple of guys who will battle for all-conference and this includes Josphat Waweru, Yibeltal Arega, Wade Martin, and Stephen Calvert.

The meet will begin with the women's 5,000-meter race at 9:00 a.m. and will be followed by the men's 8,000-meter competition at 9:45 a.m.