DePaul University Athletics
Cross Country Enters NCAA Midwest Regional
11/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | CROSS COUNTRY
CHICAGO The DePaul men’s and women’s cross country teams travel to Peoria, Illinois this weekend for the 2007 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. Saturday’s meet at Newman Golf Course opens with a men’s 10K race at 11 a.m. (CST) and continues with a women’s 6K trek at 12:15 p.m.
The Blue Demons visited the Newman Golf Course earlier this season when they raced at the Bradley Classic on October 12.
The field of competition features 30 women’s teams and 25 men’s teams. Both races include squads currently ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association national poll. The women’s race boasts No. 6 Minnesota, No. 12 Illinois, No. 19 Iowa and No. 30 Nebraska, while the men’s competition holds No. 12 Oklahoma State, No. 15 Minnesota and No. 18 Tulsa.
Claire Duck has paced the women’s team throughout the 2007 season. Most recently, she finished 16th at the BIG EAST Championships with a 6K time of 21:16. In addition, Duck has won two races this season while placing among the top 20 individuals in all six of the Blue Demons’ meets.
Terah Cheatham finished 60th at the BIG EAST Championships with a time of 22:23, while Stephanie Hughes took 72nd place with a time of 22:39. Mary Cate Quiett has consistently placed as one of DePaul’s top-three finishers throughout the 2007 campaign.
Nick Schaefer has led the men’s squad in every race this season. He finished 54th at the BIG EAST Championships with an 8K time of 25:22 and opened the season by winning the UIC Opener.
Jakub Kolacz has crossed the line as DePaul’s second finisher in five meets this season. He took 74th place at the BIG EAST Championships with an 8K time of 26:08 and finished 37th at the Bradley Classic with an 8K time of 25:53.
The top two teams from each regional championship automatically qualify for the November 19 NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana. An additional 13 teams nationwide earn at-large bids. The top four individuals from each region that are not from a qualifying team earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, while an additional two individuals are granted at-large entries.
The 2006 NCAA Regional in Minneapolis, Minnesota saw the Blue Demons place 18th in the men’s standings and 24th in the women’s standings. Illinois won the women’s team title and Oklahoma State took the men’s crown. Iowa runners swept the individual titles as Diana Nukuri won the women’s race with a time of 20:34 and Micah Vandenend posted a time of 30:40 to win the men’s trek.