Winneconne’s Lake Breeze Golf Club will be the site as the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh hosts the 47th installment of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Cross Country Championship at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 27).

This year’s meet features all nine WIAC teams, with eight of them attempting to dethrone a UW-La Crosse program that was captured three straight championships and 28 overall. The Eagles scored 35 points to win last year’s title, while UW-Oshkosh finished second with 58, UW-Platteville third with 76 and UW-Stevens Point fourth with 90. All four teams are expected to contend for this year’s crown, with UW-Oshkosh last winning the championship in 2003, UW-Platteville in 1970 and UW-Stevens Point in 1997.

WIAC men’s cross county has once again put forth a strong national showing as four teams enter Saturday’s meet ranked among the finest in the NCAA Division III by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. UW-La Crosse ranks third to lead all WIAC mentions, while UW-Platteville lists seventh, UW-Stevens Point 11th and UW-Oshkosh 28th.

Individually, UW-Platteville senior Tyler Sigl runs for a chunk of WIAC history as he looks to become the fourth person to claim three or more league titles. If successful, the two-time defending champion would join a prestigious group that already includes UW-Whitewater’s Tom Hoffman and UW-La Crosse’s Jim Drews and Joe Hanson. Hoffman won titles from 1966-68, while Drews and Hanson captured championships from 1970-73 and 1974-77, respectively.

UW-La Crosse features one of the best front-running duos in the WIAC in senior Paul Zdroik and sophomore Paul Moran. Zdroik finished seventh at last year’s championship, while Moran placed eighth.

UW-Stevens Point also owns an outstanding pair of lead runners in junior Travis Nechuta and senior Dominick Meyer. Nechuta ranked sixth at last year’s meet, while Meyer listed 13th.

Other runners expected to finish in the top 10 in this year’s 8,000-meter race are senior Brian Butzler of UW-Whitewater and junior Andrew McGuire of UW-Oshkosh. Butzler finished third in the league a year ago, while McGuire placed 10th.

The top seven runners at this year’s spectacle earn All-WIAC first team honors. Runners placing eighth through 14th will receive All-WIAC second team accolades.

Admission to the meet is $5 per automobile. Spectators are encouraged to arrive early for the meet.

All nine WIAC teams return to this very same course on Nov. 10 to compete at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional. The NCAA Division III Championship is scheduled for Nov. 17 in Northfield, Minn.