The 45th annual Doug Conley Cross Country Invitational takes center stage on Saturday morning (Sept. 23) at Shalimar Country Club in Tempe.

Six races, highlighted by the Girls Elite and Boys Elite that complete the schedule, will take place for the third year in a row at Shalimar just slightly south and east of McClintock High School. The meet is hosted by Tempe High.

The marquee races are the Elites, girls set for 9:15 a.m. and boys following at 9:45 a.m. Preceeding those and starting the meet are non-varsity girls at 7:15 followed by non-varsity boys at 7:45. The Girls Invitational starts at 8:15 followed by the Boys Invitational at 8:45. The course is three miles.

Teams competing in the Girls Invitational are: Basha, Cactus, Carl Hayden, Casa Grande, Chandler Prep, Desert Mountain, Desert Vista, Dobson, Gilbert, Liberty, Maryvale, Mesquite, North Canyon, Millennium, North Pointe Prep, Notre Dame, Page, Pinnacle, Tempe, Veritas and Williams Field. The Boys Invitational field consists of: Brophy Prep, Cactus, Carl Hayden, Casa Grande, Chandler Prep, Chaparral, Dobson, Gilbert, Glendale Prep, Higley, Liberty, Marcos de Niza, Millennium, Mountain Pointe, North Canyon, Notre Dame, Paradise Honors, Central, Rincon, Saguaro, Sierra Linda, Veritas, Vista Grande, Williams Field and Window Rock.

Teams competing in the Girls Elite race are: Chaparral, Chinle, Corona del Sol, Glendale Prep, Highland, Mountain Pointe, Mesa Mtn. View, Perry, Prescott, Red Mountain, Rincon, Skyline, Tuba City, Window Rock and Xavier. The Boys Elite field is: Basha, Chinle, Corona del Sol, Desert Mountain, Desert Vista, Highland, Mesa Mtn. View, North Phoenix Prep, Page, Perry, Pinnacle, Prescott, Rincon, Saguaro, Skyline and Tuba City.

Last year's Girls Elite team champion was Highland while Brophy Prep won the Boys Elite crown. New individual champs will prevail as last year's boys champ, Saguaro's Michael Barney, graduated. Last year's girls champ, Chandler's Morgan Foster, is not competing.