Wooster will host the Wooster Invitational this Saturday, Sept. 8, on the campus of Wooster High School.

There will be nine area teams among the 16 involved. Orrville, Smithville, Triway, Northwestern, Loudonville, Chippewa, Kingsway, Waynedale and Cloverleaf are the local teams involved. Also involved are Willoughby South, Canton South, Manchester, Amherst Steele (girls only), Madison, Elyria and the Hudson boys team.

The boys varsity 5,000-meter race will begin at 9 a.m., with the varsity girls taking off at 9:30. The boys open race will follow at 10:05 with the girls race slated at 10:35. The boys middle school race starts at 11:10 and the morning wraps up with the middle school girls race at 11:40.

“It should be a competitive field,” said Wooster boys coach Doug Bennett. “I’m looking for our kids to do well. Hudson will be a huge competitor for us and on the girls side Amherst has quite a good team. Erin Moomaw (of Smithville) is running really well now. She is coming off an 18:49 at Newcomerstown.”

Hudson won the boys title a year ago, followed by Smithville and Wooster. Dublin Scioto, which did not return to Wooster this season, won the girls crown. Amherst was second and Wooster third.