The Maryland cross country team is returning to the course for the first time in two years. The Terps start their fall season Friday at the Mount St. Mary’s 5k Duals in Emmitsburg as part of the schedule the team announced Sunday.

For many of the athletes on the team, Friday’s competition will serve as their first taste of collegiate athletics. And perhaps no one is more excited for the return to competition than coach Andrew Valmon.

“Competition is the driving force behind the hard work that our athletes put into their training.  After missing the cross country season last year, I am eager to see this young squad tackle the course and challenge themselves,” Valmon said in a statement.

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After Friday’s season opener, the team will take to the Virginia Invitational hosted by the University of Virginia on Sept. 17.

The Terps will then travel to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 1 to compete in the first of two meets set to take place at Lehigh University. Valmon’s squad will return to the home of the Mountain Hawks on Nov. 12 to compete in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.

On Oct. 15, Maryland will head to University Park, Pennsylvania, to compete in the Penn State National Open. The cross country squad will return to Penn State two weeks later to compete in the Big Ten championships.

Should the Terps qualify, they will make their final trip of the season to Tallahassee, Florida, to compete in the NCAA championships on Nov. 20.