The Kent State cross country teams will square off for their only home meet of the season today at the Kent Short Course Classic.

It will be held at the Kent State Golf course, with the women starting 4:30 p.m. and the men starting at 5 p.m. This is the last meet the teams will have before the Mid-American Conference Championship.

“This race is kind of a tune-up, if you will, to get us prepared for the MAC Championship,” track and field coach Bill Lawson said.

Lawson said he does not expect to run all of the men’s team, who competed in last Saturday at the Pre-NCAA Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind.

“The point is for us to use it as a workout,” said junior Seth Hutchinson, of the men’s team. “We will ignore the competition.”

The men will try to bounce back from last Saturday’s race where they finished 29th out of 34 teams.

The women, who did not race last week, are all expected to run today, Lawson said. Seniors Melinda Kiss and Jeanna Fascione, who have been plagued with injuries, will be joining the team for the first time this season.

Mark Croghan, who was named the new cross country coach and assistant to Lawson last week, is also expected to be with the team today, Lawson said.

-Sean Ammerman