ITHACA, N.Y. -- The first Ivy League championship of the 2009-10 academic year will be held on Friday as the Cornell men's and women's cross country teams will travel to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., for the 2009 Heptagonal Championships. Friday's race will mark the 61st time in the last 62 years that Van Cortlandt Park will play host to the storied championships.

The women's race will open the day, beginning at 11:15 a.m., with the men's race following at 12:15 p.m.

For the Cornell women, two of last year's top five finishers return in senior Stephanie Pancoast and sophomore Meghan Brown. Pancoast took 12th last year as the second Cornell finisher, helping to lead the team to a fourth-place team finish. Brown was the team's fourth finisher, coming in 30th place. The Big Red women will be boosted this year by the addition of a pair of talented freshmen in Genna Hartung and Katie Kellner. Hartung set the Moakley Course record in her first collegiate meet, while Kellner has been the team's most steady third runner this season.

A Cornell runner has won the women's race five times, with Pam Hunt and Laura Woeller winning twice each. Most recently, Toni-Lynn Salucci set the Big Red's fastest time at the course in 17:14.9  in 2006, finishing second overall. The women's team has won four titles, most recently in 1998.

On the men's side, a pair of Heps scorers return from 2008, led by junior Nate Edelman. Edelman has been the team's top finisher in every meet this season, including winning a pair of races (against Army, at the Penn State National Invitational). Edelman last season took 17th place overall, followed by Peter Loy in 18th place. Also in the mix for the Big Red men should be Max Kasak and Matt DaSilva.

Throughout the history of the men's race, nine Big Red runners have won the individual title, with Jon Rosenbaum the lone double-winner. Bruce Hyde was the most recent individual winner, claiming the crown in 2004. Grant Whitney owns the Big Red's course record at Van Cortlandt Park, running the course in 24:29.1. The men's team has won the title nine times, most recently in 1993.