ELON, N.C. – The Elon men’s and women’s cross country team will open its 2012 campaign today, August 31, at the Demon Deacon Quad in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Phoenix will race local opponents in High Point, UNCG and Wake Forest.
 
The women’s team returns three of its top four performers in program history in Allyson Oram, Emily Tryon and Haylee Dawe, as well as two others on the top-10 performance list. Oram owns the school record in the 5K and looks to be one of the top runners in the Southern Conference. The women’s squad was picked to win the conference by the league’s coaches last week. This past Monday, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) ranked Elon 13^th in the Southeast region in its preseason rankings. Five newcomers join the Elon women this season.
 
On the men’s side, five runners that hold times on the all-time 8K performance list return for the Phoenix. That includes school-record holder Luis Vargas, who had the best ever finish by a male in the maroon and gold at the SoCon Championships last year. Elon welcomes three newcomers to this year’s team.

As the season begins, this year’s interactive viewbook is now available online and can be viewed by clicking here.
 
The viewbook brings an interactive experience to the fans and incorporates full-color graphics as well as video content. The publication provides a glimpse of the Phoenix cross country program – from coach information, to facilities, to the success of the program. The book, which features a magazine-style layout, has pages that have links back to more information on the elonphoenix.com website.
  
After the Demon Deacon Quad, the Phoenix will host the fourth annual Elon Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 15. The meet, which is held at Elon’s cross country course on South campus, will begin with the women’s 5K at 9 a.m., followed by the men’s 8K at 9:45 a.m.