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The Tennessee men’s cross country team begins its season Friday at the 8K Covered Bridge Open, hosted by Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

“We look forward to our opening meet,” head coach George Watts said. “We plan on running a complete team. Our early meets are a test to check our race fitness. The performance at this meet will give me an idea of the direction we will go in the next phase of training.”

Tennessee sends seniors Andrew Dawson, Matt Piccarello and Brent Smith to the starting line, along with junior returnees Denton Jones, Yarrick Kincaid and Steve Tobin. Sophomores Michael Brodsky, Chris Kane and Chris Rapp join transfer Andrew Press and freshmen David Clabo and Michael Spooner to complete Tennessee’s travel squad. Press, Clabo and Spooner all will make their debut for the Vols on Friday.

The host Mountaineers are preseason Southern Conference favorites. Florida State, the defending South Region champions, and SEC rival Georgia help fill the field, which also includes Big South members Coastal Carolina and Winthrop. Catawba, Lenoir Rhyne, Presbyterian College (S.C.), West Florida and Wingate round out the teams competing on the men’s side.

Tennessee is competing in the state of North Carolina for the first time since Sept. 30, 2000 when the Vols ran in the Greensboro Invitational. Tennessee last opened the season in North Carolina on Sept. 11, 1999 when the Vols won the Catamount Classic in Cullowhee.

The men’s race is scheduled to start at 6:15 p.m. Eastern Time and will be preceded by the women’s 5K race.