The Arizona cross-country team will compete today in the Wisconsin adidas Invitational in Madison, Wisc.

The men’s team has been training rigorously to improve while the No. 14 women’s team is looking to have a top-10 finish this weekend against some of the toughest teams yet.

“Twenty of the 42 teams we are racing are ranked,” senior Hanna Henson said. “Training has been going well and the top girls haven’t raced in a few weeks so we are ready.”

Both teams flew in late last night and will take the day to rest, catch up on schoolwork, and jog the course.

“Everybody is healthy,” women’s head coach Erin Dawson said. “It’ll be good practice for nationals that will be in Indiana, to start running in different weather. This weekend we want to work to close the gap between our top two runners and our three, four and five runners.”

The top five women competing this weekend will be junior Jen Bergman, sophomore Elvin Kibet, freshman Hayley Stenquist, sophomore Amanda Russell and junior Liz Apgar. For the men, junior Rory McCleod, sophomore Patrick Zacharias and freshmen Lawi Lalang, Kenji Bierig, Thomas Valente and Dylan Souza will race.

“This weekend is like a transition into the championship portion of the season,” Henson said. “It will be a good next step in preparation for the NCAA Championships. As a senior, I am confident in my experience to go out and compete.”

Lalang is a top contender for winning the race and the women’s top two runners are looking to place high. The women’s 6,000-meter “A” race is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and the “B” race begins at 2:20, followed by the men’s 8000m “A” race at 1:40 p.m. and “B” race at 3 p.m.

“I just have to go out there and do my best, everyone expects a lot,” Lalang said. “My expectation is to finish in the top three this weekend.”