ALLENDALE, Mich. – As preseason fall practices end, the Grand Valley State cross country team is ready to begin the 2016 season and run down the ultimate goal of a pair of national championships.

The Laker women will look to win their fourth national title in five years and the fifth in seven years after finishing as the runners-up at the Division II National Championships in November in Joplin, Mo. GVSU's men will be attempting to improve on their fourth-place finish at the National Championships; their third straight top-five finish.

Entering the fall season, the GVSU women sit atop the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II poll and return their top-two runners in sophomore Gina Patterson and Kendra Foley. The Lakers are also picked to finish first in the GLIAC preseason poll.
 
Foley, a senior from Noblesville, Ind., placed second overall at the National Championships with a time of 20:03.7. In 2015, Foley achieved her third straight USTFCCCA All-America honors, third straight USTFCCCA All-Region honors, and third straight GLIAC first-team honors.
 
Patterson returns off of a ninth-place finish in Joplin where she came in with a time of 20:20.1.  The Washington, Mich. native was named to the USTFCCCA All-America, All-Region, and was named the 2015 GLIAC Women's Freshman of the Year.
 
Also returning for the Lakers on the women's side are Amy Creutz, a senior from Saline, Mich. who was honored with USTFCCCA All-Region and just missed out on achieving All-America honors at the National Championships, finishing 41^st with a time of 21:30.6. Senior Alison Work and junior Kelly Haubert also ran at the National Championships for GVSU finishing 72^nd and 105^th, respectively.
 
GVSU's men kick off a season with a second place ranking in the USTFCCCA preseason poll and return four scoring members from the National Championships in November. Sophomore Zach Panning returns as the highest-placing member of GVSU's squad, taking fifth-place with a time of 29:39.1 and earning All-America honors. The sophomore from Ft. Wayne, Ind. also earned GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2015.
 
In addition to Panning, the Lakers return junior Wuoi Mach, senior Chris May, and senior Bryce Bradley who all competed at the National Championships. Mach, from Grand Rapids, Mich., earned USTFCCCA All-Region, All-GLIAC First Team honors, and placed 44^th in Joplin with a time of 30:36.2. May received USTFCCCA All-Region honors, All-GLIAC First Team, and placed 97^th at the National Championships. Bradley finished 215^th at the National Championships and also earned All-GLIAC First Team honors in 2015.
 
Grand Valley State kicks off the season on Friday when they travel to East Lansing, Mich. for the Spartan Invitational hosted by Michigan State University at 12:00 pm at Forest Akers East Golf Course.