The Riverwood Raiders will race their first GHSA-sanctioned meet of the season Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Saint Mary's Academy Invitational in Fayetteville.

The invitational marks a significant step up from the internal time trial the Raiders ran Aug. 3 at the RICS Track, which served as a fitness baseline on the first day of school. Riverwood Athletics announced the meet on Monday, Aug. 10, calling it the program's "Season Opener."

This time, the competition is real.

Head coach Zach McKeone, a Riverwood alum and Raider Athletics Hall of Fame member, leads the program into a Region 7-6A schedule that pits the Raiders against Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell, Gainesville, Lanier and Mountain View. McKeone, who also coaches wrestling at the school, graduated from Limestone University with degrees in sports management and physical education.

The Raiders have 10 varsity meets and seven JV meets available under GHSA rules through Oct. 31, when the regular season ends. State sectionals follow Nov. 6-7 at Carrollton High School.

Riverwood spent the spring recruiting newcomers. Coaches and team captains hosted a meet-and-greet for rising freshmen May 28 at Bruster's Ice Cream on Johnson Ferry Road, where they handed out summer running schedules and signed up athletes for team communications.

Saturday's race in Fayetteville will be the first chance for Sandy Springs fans to see how that offseason work translates against outside competition. The Aug. 3 time trial served only as an internal assessment ahead of the GHSA's earliest allowable contest date of Aug. 10.

The Raiders' full schedule beyond the Saint Mary's Academy Invitational has not been publicly released.