ANDERSON, S.C. - The Pfeiffer University men and the Anderson College women will attempt to defend their Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference cross country titles Friday morning at the Pine Lake Golf Course. "We had two excellent races last year," said Anderson head coach Leroy Thomas. "Familiarity with the course should lead to some even better racing this year." The men's 8K race will begin at 8:30 a.m. followed by the women's 5K race at 9:15 a.m. Both races will start and finish near the No. 2 tee at Pine Lake. After running up the No. 2 fairway and around the No. 2 green, the course goes to a loop that crosses the driving range and goes toward the No. 1 fairway. After running parallel to the No. 1 fairway, the course turns and goes up the No. 7 fairway. The men will make two loops, while the women will run the loop just once. After rain earlier this week, Friday's weather forecast at race time is sunny with temperatures in the high 40s. Defending men's individual champion Chris Hiatt, a three-time CVAC Runner of the Week this fall, returns to lead the Falcons' title defense. In last year's CVAC meet, Hiatt covered the hilly course at Pine Lake in 27:36 to finish 25 seconds in front of second-place Turner Kincaid of Lees-McRae College. Pfeiffer placed four runners in the top 15 in last year's meet and scored 47 points to edge second-place Barton College by 22 points. Queens University of Charlotte was third last year with 79 points. The Anderson women won the school's first-ever CVAC title in a women's sport last fall. The Lady Trojans are led by Ashley Smoak, who finished second in last year's CVAC meet and went on to earn a bid to the NCAA Division II national meet. Beth Schultz of Mount Olive College won the women's individual title in last year's meet. She ran a 19:29 on the 5K course to edge Smoak by nine seconds. Two runners to watch in the women's field are Beth Martin of Mount Olive and Kelly Chaplin of St. Andrews Presbyterian College, both two-time CVAC Runners of the Week this fall. Anderson placed two runners in the top five last year and scored 69 points to beat second-place Longwood University by 11 points. Longwood left the CVAC last December to begin the four-year process to join Division I. Lees-McRae was third in last year's meet with 84 points.