FAYETTE, Mo. - The time has finally come.

Central Methodist, the two-time defending Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) Champion, and will look to make it three in a row Saturday at Indian Foothills Golf Course in Marshall, Mo. The 5k race is set to start at 11 a.m. CT.

At stake is an automatic berth in the 34th Annual Women's Cross Country National Championship on November 23 at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kan.

The first five finishers for each team will score.The sixth and seventh finishers will be displacers. Sixth runners will decide any ties.

The Eagles enter the race knowing that any one of five runners could lead the pack, an area where the Green and Black excelled in capturing the last two titles.

In last season's title defense, Elise Schreiber and Hailey Breusch finished fifth and seventh overall, respectively, to key Central Methodist's effort.Emily Nealley was 12th overall in the final outcome.

Breusch has the Eagles' fastest 5k time of the year (18:14.71), with that coming at the NAIA Mid-States Classic on October 26. Breusch also had the team's fastest 5k time, which came at last season's Classic, heading into last season's HAAC Championship.

As for the biggest roadblock to Central Methodist's three-peat hopes, coach Chris Sandefur believes Baker (Kan.) will again pose the biggest threat. The Eagles defeated the Wildcats by only 17 points in 2011 before winning by 30 in 2012.