St. Paul, Minn. -- The 2008 MIAC Cross Country Championship will take place this Saturday, November 1 at Como Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn. Saint John's University will enter the men's race as the reigning champion, while the University of St. Thomas captured the 2007 women's championship. The men’s race will begin at 2 p.m., with the women’s race following at 3 p.m.
St. Thomas is planning to produce a live webcast of Saturday's MIAC Men's and Women's Championships, starting at approximately 1:45 p.m. Besides audio, some live highlights and results will be posted as they become available. Go to www.mnsportsnetwork.com and scroll to the MIAC CC channel.
2008 MIAC Cross Country Championships Website
2008 MIAC Men's Cross Country Championship Preview
2008 MIAC Women's Cross Country Championship Preview
2008 MIAC Men's Cross Country Championship Preview
The 2008 MIAC Men’s Cross Country Championships could shape up to be one of the most exciting and closest races in recent history. Five MIAC teams enter Saturday’s Championship ranked in the USTFCCCA Central Region’s top eight, but the six other teams also could easily pose threats to crack the upper half of the conference. The MIAC Championships will be held Saturday, November 1 at Como Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn. The men’s race will begin at 2 p.m., with the women’s race following at 3 p.m.
Five different teams have won the last six MIAC Men’s Cross Country titles, making it one of the sports with the most parity in the entire conference. Saint John’s enters the 2008 Championships as the two-time defending champion. The Johnnies lost the top two finishers in last season’s championships to graduation, but return a talented team. St. Thomas will contend for the top spot after finishing seventh last year. The Tommies enter the race as the #1 ranked team in the region and feature a deep roster.
St. Olaf is ranked second in the region and features a blend of senior leadership and youthful talent. The Oles finished fourth last fall, but are having a strong 2008 season. Also ranked in the region are Bethel and Hamline, at sixth and eighth respectively. Both the Royals and Pipers are led by a pair of star runners, but if either of the teams can have strong finishes in the three through five spots, they could challenge for the team title.
While the regional rankings provide some indicator of who is having a successful fall, most know that anything can happen at the MIAC Championships. Carleton, Gustavus, and Macalester traditionally have strong programs and should be able to compete with the ranked teams. Augsburg, Saint Mary’s, and Concordia all have talented runners and if they can find some depth, each team could be a dark-horse on Saturday.
The individual race may be just as competitive as the team race this season. The only runners returning who finished in the top eight last season are Bethel runner’s Dan Greeno (3rd) and Carl Gladitsch (7th). Hamline junior Ian Bauer (9th), Macalester senior Martin Mudry (12th), and Saint John’s senior Zach Hunter (14th) are the other returning All-MIAC runners. So far in 2008, Concordia sophomore Tom Sederquist, St. Olaf sophomore Doboul Ruon, and Augsburg junior Brent Haglund along with Greeno and Mudry have been awarded MIAC Athlete of the Week honors.
Complete Men's Cross Country Championship Preview
2008 MIAC Women's Cross Country Championship Preview
The 2008 MIAC Women’s Cross Country Championships will feature some of the best runners in the region as nine of the top 11 finishers from 2007 return. The chase for the team title will be equally as competitive as five MIAC teams are ranked in the top 10 in the Central Region. The MIAC Championships will be held Saturday, November 1 at Como Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn. The women’s race will begin at 3 p.m., after the men’s race which starts at 2 p.m.
St. Thomas enters the 2008 Championships as the two-time defending team champion. The Tommies have won a MIAC-best 14 team titles, are ranked 14th nationally and third in the region, but will face stiff competition from Carleton. The Knights are ranked 11th in the nation and second in the region and will look to knock St. Thomas off the top spot. After winning team titles in 2004 and 2005, Carleton finished second to the Tommies in 2006 and second by only two points in 2007.
St. Olaf, Bethel, and Gustavus are the three other regionally ranked MIAC teams. The Oles, ranked fifth in the region and 27th in the nation, have finished third behind St. Thomas and Carleton in each of the last three seasons. Led by talented seniors and good depth, St. Olaf should once again challenge for a top three spot. Ranked seventh in the region, Bethel features the reigning MIAC champion in junior Marie Borner. A talented supporting cast around Borner should provide the Royals the ability to be in the chase for the team title. Gustavus, currently tenth in the region, have had a strong fall season and look to break back into the top five in the conference after finishing sixth a year ago. The Gusties are still fairly young, but they have good depth and should have five competitive finishers.
The next seven teams in the conference aren’t regionally ranked, but all could play a big factor in the conference standings both individually and in the team competition. Saint Benedict has traditionally been a tough competitor and Concordia, Macalester, and Hamline all have talented runners leading their squads. St. Catherine, Saint Mary’s, and Augsburg will feature young teams with the goal of improving upon last season’s performance.
Nine All-MIAC athletes from 2007 return to Como Golf Course on Saturday led by the top two finishers from a year ago, Marie Borner of Bethel and Katie Theisen of St. Thomas. Other 2007 All-Conference returners include St. Olaf’s Jenna Carlson, Carleton’s Sarah Forzley, Macalester’s Erin Lowrey, Concordia’s Hailey Brenden, Carleton’s Laura Roach, Hamline’s Margot Branigan (who transferred from Saint Benedict), and St. Thomas’ Kelly Russ. Carleton’s Simone Childs-Walker and St. Olaf’s Annie Knutson have had strong seasons thus far and have been MIAC Athletes of the Week along with Borner, Theisen, and Brenden.
Complete Women's Cross Country Championship Preview