ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T's cross country teams come into the upcoming 2012 season with hopes of moving up in the Great Lakes Valley Conference standings, but need their veteran runners and talented newcomers to fill the voids left by losses of their top performers from last fall.

The Miners and Lady Miners will get their first opportunity to see where they stand this weekend when they take part in the Early Bird Classic Saturday in St. Louis, a meet that will take place at Forest Park.

S&T's men's team is competing this season without its top runner from the last two seasons in David Huskisson (Kirksville, Mo./Kirksville), who is spending this semester in the university's cooperative education program.  The Miners will return two individuals who finished among the top 20 at the GLVC Championships a year ago in Jacob Tayloe (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls) finished 18^th at the conference meet and junior Wynn McClellan (Jackson, Mo./Notre Dame) ended up in 20^th place.  Tayloe, who is also a junior, was the Miners' top finisher at the NCAA Midwest Regional.

The Miners also got solid performances last season from sophomores Chris Marchman (Sheridan, Ark./Sheridan) and Danny Deposki (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh), who were consistently among the top five or six runners for S&T.  Sophomore Kyle Stocker (Solon, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Prairie) is also expected to compete for one of the scoring spots for the Miners in the upcoming season along with junior Brett Conway (Troy, Ill./Triad).

S&T also returns sophomores Andrew Naeger and Brian Scherping (Chesterfield, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit).

This year's Miner freshman class has 10 individuals, headed by Justin Brown (Independence, Mo./Truman) and Travis Connelly (Fenton, Mo./Lutheran South).  Brown was a two-time all-state performer at Truman High School in Independence, Mo., while Connelly placed ninth at last year's Missouri Class 3 state meet while running at Lutheran South High School to earn all-state honors.  Brown and Connelly are among nine freshmen on the 2012 Miner roster.

The Lady Miners also saw their top performer from 2011 – Colleen Conrad (Mogadore, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary's ), the fifth place finisher at the GLVC Championships – leave due to graduation – but several upperclassmen return and will be joined by a pair of talented newcomers to give S&T a chance to move up the ladder this fall.

Seniors Lisa Lake (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) and Mindy Lake (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa), who have been among the top runners for S&T over the past three seasons, will attempt to fill the void left by the loss of Conrad.  Lisa Lake (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) had a 14^th place in a meet at the University of Kansas last season, while Mindy Lake (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) was the second Lady Miner across the finish line at the GLVC meet.

In addition to the Lake sisters, S&T also returns seniors junior Codee Pedersen (Taylor Ridge, Ill./Rockridge) and sophomore Alyson Smith (Scott Air Force Base, Ill./Mascoutah), who were among the top five runners for the team throughout last season.   The Lady Miners also return seniors Elizabeth Hinck (Cedarburg, Wis./Living Word Lutheran), Rachel Feist (Tulsa, Okla./Jenks) and Aimee Snell (Springfield, Mo./Glendale) along with junior Diane Strong (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) and sophomore Madalyn Elliott (Chesterfield, Mo./Westminster Christian Academy).

Two freshmen, Montana Long (Weston, Mo./Platte County) and Allie Wood (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley), are also expected to make pushes for spots among the top five.  Long was a two-time state qualifier in cross country at the high school level in Platte City, Mo., while Wood, a native of West Des Moines, Iowa, qualified for the state meet in track in the distance events.

The S&T cross country teams will host the Jackling Jocks Invitational on Oct. 6 at the S&T Golf Course, the only home meet on the 2012 schedule.