William and Mary's men's cross country team released its 2012 schedule today, a slate that includes four home events and two appearances at national-level invitationals.  Interim Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Stephen Walsh and his staff put together the schedule with an eye towards returning the Tribe to the NCAA Championships, as well as continuing W&M's dominating 12-year run at the top of the Colonial Athletic Association.

As has become tradition, the year will begin with the Tribe traveling to Richmond to face the Spiders in a dual-meet on Saturday, Sept. 1.  The early-season rust-buster is usually held at a shorter 5K distance, and includes runners from both schools as well as alumni and club racers.  Two weeks later, the College will host the 54th Annual W&M Cross Country Invitational, including both high school and college races.  The meet will take place at the Eastern State course in Williamsburg on Saturday, Sept. 15, with the men's college race beginning at 9:45 a.m.

Two national-class events are up next, as the Tribe heads north while the weather gets colder.  On Friday, Sept. 28, W&M will race at the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa., and two weeks later, the Green and Gold will be in Louisville, Ky., for the Pre-National Invitational.  While the top runners are getting a preview of the NCAA course, the College's "B" squad will host the Tribe Open on Saturday, Oct. 13.  The annual open meet attracts runners from all over the region, and from every level of competition including club and NCAA Divisions I, II, and III.

W&M will host the CAA Championships for the first time in a decade this fall, and will race for the championship on Homecoming, Oct. 27.  The Tribe has won 12-straight conference titles, and is the fourth-most winningest program in the history of the NCAA with 34 total conference championships.  One week later, on Friday, Nov. 2, W&M will continue its 25-year-long, $100,000+ tradition of helping others when it once again hosts the Massey Cancer Center 5K Run/Walk.  The event will begin and end at the Lake Matoaka amphitheatre, will all proceeds going to benefit the Massey Cancer Center at MCV in Richmond.  The next day, Nov. 3, Tribe athletes will race at the UVA Open in Charlottesville.

The final two weeks of the season will see three championship meets for the Tribe, beginning with the Southeast Region Championships on Friday, Nov. 9.  The meet, which includes all Division I teams from Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina, while be hosted in Charlotte, N.C. this year.  The top two finishing teams and the top four athletes not on a qualifying team all earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.  W&M has finished third or better every year since 1999, and won three of the past four years.  One week later, Saturday, Nov. 17, the Tribe will send elements of the team to New York for the IC4A Championships, while the varsity team is in Louisville, Ky., for the NCAA Championships.  The national meet is being held on a Saturday this year for the first time since World War II, and will run at mid-day on Nov. 17.