Galesburg, IL – The Prairie Fire cross country teams added a twist to one of their first practices of the new season.

Knox's fall athletes began arriving on campus on August 19, including the cross country runners, to begin practicing for the 2013 campaign.  Alex Moreno begins his second season as the head coach of the Prairie Fire women's and men's cross country squads.

The 15-member women's team features eight returners, two seniors and six sophomores, along with seven new runners this season.  The men's roster of 16 includes six runners back from last season – five of them seniors – and 10 newcomers.

Moreno is looking forward to working with his teams throughout the season.

"We have strong competitors returning, but we also have a very strong incoming class," he said.  "In cross country a first-year or a sophomore can find themselves leading the pack.  It is always exciting to see the new talent and their development."

The teams – as expected – ran during their practice on August 21, but also tied in a community service project.  As they made their way through the streets of Galesburg, the runners had trash bags in hand – picking up litter along the way.

Together, the teams – in less than an hour – collected a significant amount of waste and helped make the neighborhoods they ran through look a little nicer.

To read more about the cross country clean-up effort, click here.

Follow Prairie Fire athletics on Twitter and Facebook