The TCU cross country team will begin their season Friday at the Baylor Bear Relays in Waco. Head coach Patrick Cunniff said he is looking forward to the meet.

“It will be a good opportunity to bust the rust off after the summer,” Cunniff said.

The cross country men and women will competete in two-person relays, with men running three kilometers each and women running two kilometers each.

Cunniff said the format of the meet will be beneficial as the opener for the team.

“The relay team format is less intense,” Cunniff said.

Cunniff said he plans to bring 18 runners to compete in the Bear Relays. The Frogs expect to have four men’s teams and four women’s teams race.

Cunniff said he has high hopes this season for senior Kip Kangogo.

“I feel like he is a national-class runner,” Cunniff said.

This will be Kangogo’s first meet competing for TCU after sitting out last season following a transfer from BrighamYoung.

Kangogo, however, is focused on the success of the team rather than his debut for TCU.

“This is our first race of the season,” Kangogo said. “We just want to go out there and find out what our weakness is so we can run our best race at the end of the season,”

Cunniff said four of the top six women runners from last season are returning to competition this year.

Sophomore Calandra Stewart was an individual qualifier for the NCAA championship in cross country last season said Cunniff.

Cunniff also said he looks forward to successful sophomore years from Halie Bullin and Cassie Hostick.

The defending regional champion Southern Methodist women’s team isn’t a threat to the Horned Frogs, Stewart said.

“We’ve raced against them before,” Stewart said. “We’re just ready to compete.”

Competition includes SMU, North Texas, Texas-Arlington, Dallas Baptist and Texas A&M-Commerce, according to baylorbears.collegesports.com.

“The first meet is a good gauge to find out where we’re at,” Cunniff said.

The meet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Baylor Intramural Fields.