TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's and women's cross country teams kick off the 2019 season at the Mel Brodt Collegiate Opener at the Forrest Creason Golf Course in Bowling Green, Ohio, on Friday, Aug. 30. The men's 5K starts at 5:30 p.m. with the women's 5K to follow at 6:00 p.m. 
 
"It's a pretty low-key situation. Our goal is to get out there and get in a harder effort," said Andrea Grove-McDonough, who will be making her debut as Toledo's head coach.  "It is an opportunity, particularly for freshmen, to put the jersey on and get out there and get comfortable in that setting. For me, being a new coach, it is an opportunity just to see people's style in terms of how they prepare for a race and how they handle the race itself. I'm looking forward to getting a feel for the athletes in competition versus practice, because that can be two different things."  
 
Earlier this week, the Toledo women's squad was picked to win the Mid-American Conference Championship in the MAC preseason coaches' poll. The Rockets are also ranked ninth in the Great Lakes Region by the USTFCCCA. 
 
The women's squad returns to the course after finishing second at the 2018 Mid-American Conference Championships with 80 points, a mere four points from MAC champion Eastern Michigan. Last season, the Rockets placed first in three regular-season meets and ninth with 297 points at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.  
 
The men's squad looks to improve on its ninth-place finish from last season. The Rockets will have a larger squad this season, adding 12 new runners to its roster which already included three returnees. Nine of the newcomers are entering as true freshmen.