JACKSONVILLE – After serving as host of the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships, the Jacksonville State cross country teams will make their first trip to Morehead, Ky. to vie for the 2013 OVC Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

Both meets will be contested at Eagle Trace Golf Course in Morehead, Ky. The men's 8K race will begin at 9:45 a.m. CT with the women's 5K race following at 10:45 a.m. CT. It marks the first time that the event has been held in Morehead since 2002.

The Gamecocks will look to improve from their finish at the OVC Championships from a year ago.  Both squads, running on their home course at Oxford Lake, placed eighth in the team standings.

On the women's side, Jax State will look to senior Ericka Stam, who has led the JSU women in every meet this season.  The Keller, Texas-native set a personal-best at the JSU Foothills Invitational.  Stam has paced the squad to top-20 finishes in all five meets this season.

The Jax State men have been led by juniors Nick Hager and Mickey Sanders.  Hager has been JSUs top finisher in the last two outings – JSU Foothills Invitational and at the Alabama Crimson Classic.

In the men's 8K, Eastern Kentucky, the seven-time defending champion, enters Saturday's race as the favorites as they are ranked No. 17 nationally in the latest USTFCCCA poll. A year ago the Colonels finished 24th at the NCAA Championship, a two-spot improvement over its 2011 national finish.

After failing to win the 2011 championship, the EKU women rebounded to win the title last year, topping the field by 17 points, placing its top four runners in the third through sixth positions.