ANDERSON, S.C. -- Lees-McRae, the preseason favorite in both the men's and women's polls, will try and repeat in both races at the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference cross country championships Friday morning at the Pine Lake Golf Club. "We're excited to be the host for this event," said Anderson head coach Leroy Thomas. "We have been working for several months to design a challenging and exciting course for the runners. We're expecting two terrific races." Rolling hills and some steep grades at Pine Lake will provide a challenging venue for the 68 women and 76 men scheduled to compete in the event. Friday's event will be the first cross country meet at Pine Lake since the mid-70s. The men's 8K race will begin at 8:30 a.m. During the regular season, Anderson, Queens University of Charlotte, Lees-McRae and Pfeiffer all claimed race titles. The Lees-McRae men have won two of the last three titles -- '99 and '01. In the women's 5K race, Lees-McRae, which won two races during the regular season, is expected to be challenged by Anderson, which claimed three titles this fall. Longwood, Erskine, and Queens also have won titles this fall. After finishing second in the '97 CVAC race, the Lees-McRae women have reeled off four straight titles. The Bobcat women also are the defending regional champions. The AC women are led by Ashley Smoak and Jessica Merrill, who have finished 1-2 in three races this fall.