JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln cross country team opens its 2022 season this Friday (Sept. 15) as the Blue Tigers travel to Columbia, Mo. for the Larry Young Invitational. Hosted by Columbia College, the Larry Young Invitational will be held at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course, with the 5k women's race beginning at 5:45 p.m. CDT.

Lincoln returns six athletes from the 2021 squad, which produced three top-10 finishes, highlighted by a fourth-place result at Principia's Border War challenge. Maria Diamond led LU at that race, finishing 11th overall with a time of 20:22.91. Chrissani May, meanwhile, timed in at 21:33.91 to finish 21st in the scoring.

Jameaka Mannings had LU's third-best finish at the 2021 MIAA Championships, where Shevanae Thomas and Nehlia MIlls also scored points for the Blue Tigers. The other returner from last season is Nattesha Palmer, while newcomers Abigail Brooks, Denita Jackson and Sophia Myers fill out the squad.

The Blue Tigers will compete in five races in 2022, including the MIAA Championship meet, which Lincoln will host on Nov. 5. The Blue Tigers will return to Columbia, Mo. for the University of Missouri's Gans Creek Classic on Sept. 30, and will vie in the Border War again on Oct. 7. LU will close the regular season with the SBU Open in Bolivar, Mo. on Oct. 21.