This year the Husky cross-country teams' goal is to see America. The Husky men's and women's teams will have to cross the country and travel through a variety of tough cross-country courses from Los Angeles to the Midwest to be successful.

"We have the Pac-10 championships at UCLA," said coach Greg Metcalf. "The regionals are at Stanford and the national championship is held at Indiana State, so we will travel quite a bit."

Metcalf enters his sixth year leading Husky runners into competition. During his first five seasons, the former Husky has directed the women's cross-country team to five NCAA championship appearances. In 1998 the Husky women finished a UW-best ninth in the country.

For this fall, much of the same is expected from the two-time all-American coach, who also enters the 2003 track-and-field season as head coach, filling in for the departed Orin Richburg. However, this fall Metcalf has his focus on cross country and getting his men and women to postseason action at courses across the states.

On the women's side, seniors Kate Bradshaw and Courtney Inman were selected by their teammates to be captains for this season. Both have had successful cross-country and track-and-field seasons, respectively, in their previous three seasons at Washington.

Bradshaw always found herself finishing cross-country meets in the top three, and throughout her collegiate career she has appeared in 21 straight races and she looks to continue her streak. At the annual Sundodger Invitational held at Seattle's Lincoln Park Sept. 21, she finished seventh with a 17:24 in the 5,000-meter race. The women's team finished second at the Sundodger Invite behind Michigan's 45 points, and one point ahead of third-place Idaho with 72. True freshman Laura Hodgson finished the highest individually with a time of 17:16, while Kate Bradshaw finished seventh with a 17:24.

Inman is one of the top athletes on the women's team, but she will run sparingly this season because of her strenuous running schedule that lasts throughout the year. She competed in the indoor- and outdoor-track season and in various summer competitions in 2002.

During the spring season Inman earned a trip to the NCAA track-and-field championships, where she earned her second-fastest 1,500-meter time ever at 4:12.7. Inman's versatile athletic ability could pay huge dividends for the women's cross-country team when Metcalf calls upon her.

"Courtney has not raced yet because her track season lasts a little bit longer than everyone else," said Metcalf. "We may race her at Notre Dame this weekend or we may hold her out until the pre-national meet, but Courtney is a great leader on this team."

Another runner to look for this fall is Hodgson. Hodgson (pronounced with a silent 'g') hails from Spokane's North Central High School where she finished third in the 4A cross-country championships with an 18:32 finish in the 5,000-meter event.

The men also return a talented group of athletes led by the experienced junior captain Eric Garner and the lone senior of the bunch Jeremy Park. Junior Todd Arnold also brings valuable experience to the team while sophomores Matt Topping and Michael Kiter round up the top five male cross-country competitors.

Kiter was a high school all-American his senior year at Spokane's Shadle Park. Metcalf's men's team includes eight freshmen that carry high expectations to the Husky cross-country team and should learn a lot from the seasoned veterans like Garner and Park.

"We will redshirt most of our freshman," said Metcalf. "We have a phenomenal group of freshman guys. Last year at the Sundodger we had five guys run under 25 minutes for AK (a five-mile run), this year we had 13. We have a lot more depth than last years men's team."

At the 2002 Sundodger Invite, the Husky men finished No. 1 with 46 points while Texas A&M and South Dakota State followed second and third, respectively. Eric Garner finished the highest at seventh place with a 24:23 time in the five-mile run. Arnold finished on Garner's heels at eighth place and a 24:28 time. Kiter and Topping finished 12th and 13th, respectively, to help the Huskies win the Sundodger.

Like Inman, Garner competed in post-season action in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. At the 2002 indoor NCAA championships Garner finished 13th nationally in the 1,500-meter race. Garner also competed in the 2002 Pac-10 championships. He too has versatility that reflects his strong cross-country running, which is much different than the structured races track-and-field events provide for athletes.

On cross-country courses the actual course differs at each setting, challenging runners to adjust their individual pace and agility to each course's format. Cross-country meets are fast and furious, even though it is a race against time not people.

"After the gun fires the guys' races are usually done in under 30 minutes while the gals take 20," said Metcalf. "It's a great sport, a very pure sport."