Big Ten Championships
The Minnesota men's cross country team begins the championship portion of its schedule by traveling to the 2004 Big Ten Men's Cross Country Championships, hosted by Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa., on Sunday, Oct. 31. The 90th running of the Big Ten men's race begins at 11:30 a.m. (CDT). The race is the final 8-kilometer event of the season, as the distance lengthens to 10-kilometers for NCAA competition.

Minnesota at the Big Ten Meet
Minnesota has won four Big Ten men's cross country titles: 1909, 1914, 1964 and 1969. During head coach Steve Plasencia's tenure, the Golden Gophers' top finish was a third-place showing in 1999. Last season, Minnesota placed sixth.

The Gophers have had three runners win Big Ten individual crowns a total of seven times. Fred Watson (1913-15) and Gary Bjorklund (1969-71) each capture three titles. Leonard Edeleen won the 1957 title.

The Golden Gophers
Minnesota will field an experienced lineup with five of the Gophers' nine runners being seniors. Andrew Carlson earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2002 and has his sights set on giving Minnesota a first-team performer for the first time since 1996 (Rick Obleman). A total of five Gophers who are competing in the Big Ten meet have captured NCAA all-region accord during their careers (Carlson, Ryan Malmin, Ryan Ford, Martin Robeck and Antonio Vega). Two Golden Gophers, junior Trent Riter and freshman Justin Grunewald, will be competing in their first Big Ten Cross Country Championships.