Cross Country Set for Championship in Kenosha

CHICAGO – The DePaul men's and women's cross country teams are set to race at the BIG EAST Cross Country Championship on Saturday. The meet will be held at the Wayne E. Dannehl Cross Country Course just north of the border in Kenosha, Wis. The Blue Demons are slated to begin competition with the men's 8K at 11:00 a.m. followed by the women's 6K at 11:50 a.m. CT.

"On the men's side, we've tightened up the back of the pack to finish closer to the three spot which has led to new PRs," said associate head coach Derrick Peterson. "Our guys are adamant about being great and started training with that mindset all the way back to this summer."

The Blue Demon men's squad looks to improve upon its seventh-place finish last season when they were led by now-senior Noah Deck who placed 39^th overall. Deck returns for the DePaul championship roster this season and will be joined by: Chris Ahlers, Ryan Bonfiglio, Dominic Bruce, Henry Harper, Shane Knanishu, Charlie McIntyre, Michael Parry and Ryan Taylor.

"The women's team has been racing unselfishly all season, which speaks volumes to the level of athlete we're bringing in," added Peterson. "The newcomers and returners have been complimenting each other and brought about a great attitude change."

Having seen top finishes among the squad divvied up between newcomers Olivia Borowiak, Violet Harper, Alexa Havon and veteran Courtney Pickering, the Blue Demons are bring their top talent to the championship roster, including: Ericka Burgess, Maret Elgren, Margaret Hastings and Kate Jacobs. Last season, the Blue Demons were able to move up two spots in the final team standings and hope to build off that momentum.

With the chilly temperatures forecast to be in the mid-30's as the race begins, the Blue Demons are ready to build upon the success they've seen this year, even competing against some BIG EAST rivals during the regular season.

"That's the beauty of the sport – we never know what mother nature will bring. We've had practice outside early in the morning so our teams are used to it by now. We'll just make sure and tie our shoes a little tighter than normal," Peterson said.

Live Coverage
Fans can visit the DePaul cross country schedule page for live coverage by the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi and live statistics. Full recaps and final statistics from the championship will be posted to DePaulBlueDemons.com.

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Cross Country Set for Championship in Kenosha

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Players Mentioned

Chris Ahlers

Ryan Bonfiglio

Olivia Borowiak

Dominic Bruce

Ericka Burgess

Noah Deck

Maret Elgren

Henry Harper

Violet Harper

Margaret Hastings

Alexa Havon

Kate Jacobs

Shane Knanishu

Charlie McIntyre

Michael Parry

Courtney Pickering

Ryan Taylor

DePaul University Athletics