By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University cross country team will host the 46th Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational as part of the 2020 season. The Charles Bowles event will  held on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Bush's Pasture Park. 

Willamette's runners will begin the season on Sept. 11 at the Ash Creek Invitational hosted by Western Oregon University. The meet will be held at the Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Oregon.

The schedule also features two trips for key meets in the Midwest. The Bearcats will run at the Carleton Invitational in Minnesota on Sept. 19 and will compete at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Kollege Town Sports Invitational on Oct. 17. The UW-Oshkosh meet is one of the largest NCAA Division III cross country events each season.

Willamette will compete at the Northwest Conference Championships on Oct. 31. Linfield University will be hosting the NWC races at the Michelbook Country Club in McMinnville, Oregon.

Two weeks later, the Bearcats will be at the NCAA Division III West Regional in Walla Walla, Washington. Whitman College will host the meet at Memorial Golf Course.

The 2020 NCAA Division III Championships are set for Saturday, Nov. 21 at the LaVern Gilbson Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology will be hosting the national meet.