Men's Cross Country | 10/25/2018 3:45:00 PM

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FAIRFAX, Va. – While the end result matters, the George Mason men's and women's cross country teams will be focused on the process this weekend.

The Patriots compete in the Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships on Saturday morning at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va. Mason, coming off strong performances on both the men's and women's sides two weeks ago at the Princeton Invitational, will try to be in the mix in two competitive fields.

But head coach Andrew Gerard said his teams have put more emphasis on trusting the process and spent less time worrying about the results.

"You get a result by putting a process in place, putting steps in place, then working to execute that," Mason head coach Andrew Gerard said. "That's what our goal is going to be for the weekend is to go in, do things we know are going to make us successful and see where that puts us. I think we're going to have the ability to compete very well. But we'll see on Saturday about noon where the chips fall."

The women's 5K race begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with the men's 5-miler to follow at 10:50 a.m. Both races will be live streamed on ESPN+. 

Dayton swept the team championships last year. The Flyers are going for a three-peat of the men's title. But both fields showcase the depth of the conference.

On the men's side, seven teams are regionally ranked by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (UTFCCCA): Mason (No. 15 in the Southeast Region), Dayton, Massachusetts, Duquesne, La Salle, St. Joseph's and George Washington. The women's field features five regionally ranked teams: Dayton, Duquesne, La Salle, Davidson and Richmond.

"Both fields are very good," Gerard said. "A number of regionally ranked teams. I don't think there is a dominant favorite on either side."

Both Mason teams registered solid finishes at the Princeton Invitational their last time out. 

The women finished fourth, defeating nationally ranked Princeton (No. 29) and finishing ahead of two Power Five conference foes (South Carolina and Maryland). The men placed seventh, defeating eight regionally ranked teams, to jump into the Southeast regional rankings for the first time this year. 

"Princeton kind of reaffirmed we are on the right path," Gerard said. "I think there are still a few things we need to correct, things that were pointed out, things we have to adjust and make some corrections for. But they're not huge things. They are not monumental things that are going to have to be a giant leap going into the weekend."