WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State's cross country teams will open the 2018 season with a home contest Saturday morning at the 70th Annual J.K. Gold Classic at the Four Mile Creek Resort – formerly R.A.F.T. Course.
 
The university/college men run a 6000m course at 8:30 a.m., while the university/college women run a 4000m course at 9 a.m.
 
The Shocker men look to defend their J.K. Gold team title, after having won six consecutive. On the women's side, three-time defending J.K. Gold champion Rebekah Topham looks to defend her title, becoming the first athlete in history to win the J.K. Gold title four times.
 
Wichita State welcomes in-state rival and Big 12 opponent Kansas State, as well as Emporia State, Friends, Missouri State, Neosho CC and Newman.
 
"I'm excited to have teams come in, we love the fact that Kansas State comes here so often," said head cross country coach Kirk Hunter. "Missouri State is coming back and we're going to have some smaller schools as well, just hosting this meet is really cool for us."
 
In the pre-season USTFCCCA regional rankings, the Shocker men's team rank No. 14 in the Midwest, while the women enter the 2018 campaign at No. 15.
 
Friends University enters the race with the highest rankings of its respected division. The women's squad is ranked No. 3 in the KCAC rankings, while the men start 2018 at No. 4. The Emporia State men's team is ranked No. 9 in the Division II Central Regional rankings.
 
The Four Mile Creek Resort is located on Tawakoni Road south of Kellogg (HWY 54). The meet is named for former long-time Shocker Cross Country and Track and Field Coach John Kornelson who is also a member of WSU's Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame.

Driving Directions:
From Eastbound Hwy 54/Kellogg: Turn south on Tawakoni Road – Drive 3.7 miles – Entrance on your left
From Westbound Hwy 54/Kellogg: Turn south on Andover Road – Go 5 miles to 150^th Street – Turn eastbound and continue 4 miles to Tawakoni Road – Turn northbound for 1.5 miles just past 140^th Street – Entrance on your right.

Event Schedule:
The morning schedule is as follows, including the high school races:
8:00 a.m., Varsity girls 5000m, (Medals to top 10 finishers)
8:30 a.m., University/College Men 6000m, (T-Shirts to top 15 finishers)
9:00 a.m., University/College Women 4000m, (T-Shirts to top 15 finishers)
9:30 a.m., Varsity Boys 5000m, (Medals to top 10 finishers)
10:00 a.m., Junior Varsity Girls 5000m, (Medals to top 10 finishers)
10:05 a.m., University/College Awards Ceremony
10:30 a.m., Junior Varsity Boys 5000m, (Medals to top 10 finishers)
11:15 a.m., High School Awards Ceremony
 
Admission:
Cost for the event is $4 a person at the entrance to the course. Vehicles will break into three lanes once in the gate to help congestion along Tawakoni Road.