The Illinois Springfield men's cross country team will compete in its first 8K race of the season on Friday, traveling to Illinois State for the Redbird Invite. The race is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

The Prairie Stars will face a field that includes Eastern Illinois, host Illinois State and Iowa. All of the other teams in the field are NCAA Division I opponents.

UIS will have a lineup that looks similar to the group that competed in the season-opening race, with the addition of All-GLVC runner Matt Padilla. Friday's race will give the Prairie Stars their first opportunity of the season to compete at the regular-season championship distance while testing themselves against a field made up primarily of Division I competition.

The Redbird Invite will be held at Weibring Golf Club in Normal, Ill. Live results will be available through Shazam Racing.