The 2008 Big 12 Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, returning to Ames, Iowa, the site of the inaugural event in 1996. Admission is free to the public.

The championships will begin with the women’s 6,000-meter run at 10 a.m. CT, followed by the men’s 8,000-meter event at 11 a.m. at the Iowa State Cross Country course. The top men’s and women’s teams are crowned league champion, while the top 15 individuals in each race are named all-conference.

In the latest NCAA Division I national rankings, the Conference had four men’s teams and three women’s squads ranked in the top 30. No. 3 Oklahoma State leads the league for the men, followed by No. 17 Colorado, No. 18 Texas A&M, No. 22 Iowa State and No. 30 Texas. On the women’s side, No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 17 Baylor and No. 27 Nebraska are ranked.