The Seattle University cross country team traveled to Cougar Mountain Monday, August 27, for its annual preseason volunteer project.

The Redhawks partnered with King County Parks to perform maintenance and cleanup at the Sky Country Trailhead at Cougar Mountain. Some of the tasks performed by the members of the team included clearing loose branches and brush, trimming trees, and making the paths safer for everyone who uses them. Photos of the student-athletes and coaches participating in the project can be seen by clicking on the photo album that accompanies this story.

The Seattle University cross country team will open the 2012 competitive season this Friday, Aug. 31, in the Seattle U/UW Open at Magnuson Park starting at 4 p.m.

The mission of the Seattle University athletics department is to champion the holistic development of student-athletes inspiring a vital and engaged campus community through the development and maintenance of a premier, nationally prominent NCAA Division I athletics program, in the spirit of the Jesuit tradition. One of the ways that the mission is put into action is by encouraging student-athletes to engage the greater community through meaningful service activity.