CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
On Saturday, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference will host its first-ever Conference Championship event, as the 2012 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships will be hosted by Cedarville University at Elvin R. King Cross Country Course in Cedarville, Ohio. The women’s race will begin at 10:30 a.m. , with the men to follow at 11:30 a.m. The awards ceremony will conclude the championships. Admission information to the competition and directions to the event are listed below.
Men’s Championship
The men’s eight-kilometer race will feature four teams, Cedarville University, Central State University, Trevecca Nazarene University, and Urbana University. Cedarville, who serves as host, will be the favorite in this year’s event as it looks to capture the first-ever G-MAC title in their first year as an NCAA Division II active institution. The Yellow Jackets are currently ranked 14th in the nation in a poll conducted by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, and are 3rd in the regional rankings.
This season, Cedarville has earned three first place finishes, a second place finish, and one third place finish in its five races. Individually, Matt Brooker owns the top three times in the 8K among all the conference runners. Following the G-MAC championships this weekend, the Yellow Jackets will take part in the NCAA DII Midwest Regional on Nov. 3 to qualify for the NCAA Championships on Nov. 17 in Joplin, Missouri.
Trevecca Nazarene has posted some impressive finishes, improving race by race. Most recently they finished second among a six team field at the Union Invitational. Their time of 2:22:47 will put them in position for second place finish, as Urbana has recorded only one team finish in five races, and Central State has posted only one team finish this season, racing in the Wilmington College Fall Classic, finishing 34th with a time of 3:03:04.
Under first-year coach Kevin Horne, Urbana has also continued to improve its individual times, establishing new personal best and program records almost weekly. Trevecca Nazarene under their new head coach Brad Peterson, is also improving on a weekly basis and is led by a group of young freshman.
Women’s Championship
The women’s six-kilometer race, will feature feature five teams, Cedarville University, Central State University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Urbana University, and Ursuline College. Like the men’s side of things, Cedarville will be the favorite in this year’s event as it looks to capture the first-ever G-MAC women’s title in their first year as an NCAA Division II active institution. The Yellow Jackets have earned two first place finishes, a fourth place finish, and sixth third place finish in its four races. Individually, Alex Archambault owns three of the top four times among conference runners, while Cedarville runners own all ten of the top-10 performances at the 5K distance. Following the G-MAC championships this weekend, the Yellow Jackets will take part in the NCAA DII Midwest Regional on Nov. 3 to qualify for the NCAA Championships on Nov. 17 in Joplin, Missouri.
Trevecca, Urbana, and Ursuline - all three of which are being led by new head coaches - should battle for second, third and fourth place. Individuals at Trevecca and Ursuline rank among the top ten runners in the conference. The top ten times in conference all belong to Cedarville, but those times were turned in by five runners. Trevecca and Urbana are each led by a pair of freshmen, while Ursuline is led by a freshman and a sophomore.
Central State has particiapted in just one race this season, but has yet to turn in a team score.
Championship Information
- PARKING is available at the course and at designated on-campus parking lots. Attendants will be present.
- ADMISSION FEE is $6.00 per vehicle - payable upon entering the lot.
- KING CROSS COUNTRY COURSE is located at the north end of the campus just east of State Route 72. It was constructed on 150 acres of property and was designed and built under the direction of former athletic director Pete Reese and King. Athletes run entirely on a grass course that includes rolling hills.
This unique venue, which meets all of the NCAA requirements for a cross country course, hosted its first meet on Sept. 16, 2006 with the 16th Annual Friendship Invitational. Nearly 1,000 runners participated in eight races and both Yellow Jacket teams won the first-ever college races on the course.
- DIRECTIONS:
From the North - I-75 south to I-70 east; travel approximately 24 miles to the Springfield/Cedarville
exit (Rt. 72); travel south 11 miles on Rt. 72 to the campus. (Approx 38 minutes from downtown
Dayton.)
From the South - I-75 north to Cincinnati; merge with I-71 north to the Sabina/Jamestown exit 58
(Rt. 72); follow Rt. 72 north to Cedarville. Proceed through Cedarville three blocks to the campus.
(Approximately 1 hour 17 minutes from downtown Cincinnati.)
From the East - I-70 west to the Cedarville/Springfield exit 54 (Rt. 72); travel south 11 miles on Rt. 72
to the campus. (Approximately one hour from downtown Columbus.)
From the West - I-70 east to the Cedarville/Springfield exit 54 (Rt. 72); travel south 11 miles on Rt. 72
to the campus.
From US-35 - US-35 through Xenia; Rt. 42 (north) to 72 (north) which is Main Street. Proceed
through Cedarville, three blocks to the campus.