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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns cross country team faces its toughest challenge of the 2014 season on Friday when it competes in the FSU Cross Country Invitational at Apalachee Regional Park.

The meet begins with the women's 5K race at 5:20 p.m. CDT followed by the men's 8K event at 5:45. Louisiana is one of 12 Division I schools, including three nationally-ranked programs, entered in the meet joining host Florida State. Also entered in the meet is Auburn, Florida A&M (men), Florida Atlantic (men), Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, South Florida, Stetson, Tennessee Tech, UCF (women) and Vanderbilt (men).

The host Seminoles, ranked No. 1 in both the men's and women's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Region, are also ranked No. 9 nationally in the women's rankings by the USTFCCCA with the FSU men's team ranked No. 18. The Auburn men's team enters the meet ranked No. 2 in the South Region and No. 35 nationally while the Auburn women's team is ranked No. 7 in the South Region.

Louisiana, ranked No. 14 among men's teams in the South Central Region, returns to action after a pair of second-place finishes. The Ragin' Cajuns finished second behind host McNeese State at the McNeese Cowboy Stampede in their last meet on Sept. 27.

Matthew Rice, Beau Robinson and Bryce Robinson have paced Louisiana on the men's side through the first three meets with each posting a pair of top-10 finishes in three events. Rice posted his best finish of the season for the Ragin' Cajuns with a fifth-place performance at the McNeese Cowboy Stampede.

The Ragin' Cajuns women's team has also recorded stellar performances in three meets this season, highlighted by a second-place finish at the Azalea City Classic in Mobile, Ala., on Sept. 12. Louisiana was edged out of a second-place finish in its last meet at the McNeese Cowboy Stampede, finishing behind LSU (ranked No. 12 in the South Central Region) and Tulane in the seven-team event.

Ashley Irwin and Anna Katherine Devitt have led Louisiana on the women's side with Irwin earning a first-place finish at the Azalea City Classic and Devitt producing three top-five finishes on the season. Devitt finished fifth overall in her last event with Irwin finishing sixth to post her third finish in the top-6 this season.

After competing in the FSU Invitational, Louisiana will make its final tuneup before the Sun Belt Conference Championships when it hosts the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Invitational on Oct. 17 at Acadiana Park.