The Youngstown State men's and women's cross country programs will compete in five races during the fall of 2023 before heading to Fairborn, Ohio on October 28 for the Horizon League Championships, head coach Brian Gorby announced Wednesday.

As the reigning Horizon League Champions, the men's team will look for back-to-back conference titles in October. The women, having finished in the top three seven times since the 2011 season, will look to return to the top of the podium for the first time since 2014.

Ryan Meadows and Hunter Christopher who finished third and fourth, respectively, at the Horizon League Championships last season will make their return to the course in 2023. The reigning Horizon League women's 6k champion, Morgan Cole, will look to continue her historic career with back-to-back XC titles.

The Penguins will open the season on September 8 at the Penn State Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational in University Park, Pa. The following Friday, September 15, YSU will compete at the All-Ohio Cross Country Championships in Cedarville, Ohio.

On September 29, the Penguins will make their return to South Bend, Ind. for the Joe Piane Notre Dame Cross Country Invitational in which the men were crowned victorious in the gold race last season. 

YSU will be back in action at the Bill Lennox Slippery Rock Invitational on October 7 in Slippery Rock, Pa. before heading to the 2023 NCAA XC Pre-Nationals meet the following Saturday, October 14. The Pre-Nationals event will be hosted by Virginia at the Panorama Farms course in Charlottesville, Va.

The NCAA Pre-Nationals will mark the final race before the highly anticipated Horizon League XC Championships, hosted by Wright State in Fairborn, Ohio on October 28.

Following the conference championships, the Penguins will head to the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships in Madison, Wis. on November 10.

For live updates and results throughout the 2023 season, follow @YSUTrackFieldXC on Twitter.