PEORIA, Ill. -- Some of the top cross country teams in the nation, including the defending men's national champion, will converge on Newman Golf Course for the NCAA Midwest Cross Country Regional Championships Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. The women's 6K will kick things off at 11 a.m. with the men's 10K scheduled to follow at 12:15 p.m.
Bradley is serving as host for an NCAA Cross Country Regional for the fifth time overall and third time in the last seven years. Newman Golf Course also served as an NCAA Regional site in 2007, 2004, 1996 and 1986.
The field includes individuals from 33 women's teams and 29 men's squads and will be highlighted by the defending men's national champion and #1 ranked Oklahoma State. The Cowboys claimed the Big 12 championship last month and are expected to be among the favorites at the NCAA Championship in Terre Haute, Ind., later this month.
Joining Oklahoma State in the men's race are three other teams ranked in the top 30 in the nation, including in-state rival and eighth-ranked Oklahoma. The Minnesota men's squad finished third at the Big Ten championship in October and are ranked 24th in the nation, while Tulsa's men are 27th in the latest national poll.
On the women's side, Iowa State is one of the favorites after the third-place finish at the Big 12 Conference championship. The Cyclones are ranked 13th in the nation and won the Bradley Classic title earlier this season at Newman Golf Course. The Minnesota women also finished third in the Big Ten and are ranked 20th in the polls. Oklahoma State's women's team is 23rd in the nation and Tulsa's women's squad is ranked 24th heading into Saturday's competition.
The top two teams in each race along with the top four individual finishers not on the top two teams will receive automatic berths into the NCAA Championship, which will be held on Nov. 22 in Terre Haute, Ind. Oklahoma State's men won the NCAA Regional in Peoria during the 2007 season, while Minnesota won the women's title the last time Bradley served as regional host.
Senior Mary Goldkamp (Florissant, Mo./McCluer North) finished 29th at last year's NCAA Regional with a then career-best time of 21:43 to help the Bradley women's team to an 11th-place finish. Goldkamp has paced the Braves in each of her five races this season and earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors for the second consecutive year after finishing sixth at the State Farm MVC Championship last month.
On the men's side, sophomore Jon Richards (Streator, Ill./Streator) is BU's top returning finisher on the men's side from last year. Richards was 121st at the NCAA Regional last year in Springfield, Mo., clocking a 34:30 and was Bradley's top finisher at last month's MVC Championship.
