PEORIA, Ill. - The Bradley men's and women's cross country teams will host the first of two home meets in 2010 Friday afternoon, welcoming many of the top teams from around the region to Newman Golf Course for the seventh annual Bradley Classic. The event will begin at 4 p.m. with the women's 6K and the men's 8K is scheduled to follow at 4:45 p.m.
The Bradley Classic will serve as the final tune-up for many teams heading into their respective conference championships, in addition to providing a preview of the upcoming 2010 NCAA Midwest Regional which will return to Newman Golf Course on Saturday, Nov. 13.
This year's field includes 22 men's and 21 women's squads from around the Midwest. While neither of the defending champions are in the field in 2010 (University of Windsor on the men's side and Wisconsin on the women's side), the 2010 Bradley Classic features part of the 11th-ranked Iowa State women's team and several other squads which find themselves in the regional rankings.
Five of the men's teams are regionally ranked, while four women's teams were also ranked in the top 15 in their respective regions. The Bradley Classic Field includes 219 individuals in the women's and 250 competitors in the men's race.
Defending men's individual champion Thibault Vandenabeele from Northern Iowa won last year's individual title by one second and is expected to be one of the favorites in the men's race this season as a sophomore. Joining Vandenabeele in the top 10 last year were Iowa State's Daniel Murray (5th), Northern Iowa's Alex Mark (7th) and Jorden Hebert (10th) from Illinois.
On the women's side, Drake's Casey McDermott is the top returner in the field after finishing fifth in 2009. Bradley senior Mary Goldkamp (9th in 2009) owns one of the top 6K times in the field this season, while Megan Hoelscher (6th) of Southern Illinois and Western Illinois' Carianna Cottone (8th) both finished in the top 10 in last season's Bradley Classic.
In addition to serving as the site for the Bradley Classic each of the last six years, Newman Golf Course has been the site of four NCAA Regionals and four State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championships. Admission to the Bradley Classic is free and free parking will be available at the Newman Golf Course Clubhouse located at 2021 West Nebraska Avenue.
Bradley will compete in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championships, Saturday, Oct. 30 in Augusta, Kan., before the top teams from the Midwest converge on Newman Golf Course, Saturday, Nov. 13 for the NCAA Midwest Regional. Bradley will host an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2007 and fifth time overall. The Braves also served as host for an NCAA Regional in 2004, 1996 and 1986.
Directions to Newman Golf Course
From the east: I-74 exit #91 (University Street) turn right - North and then make an immediate left onto Nebraska Avenue. Newman Golf Course will be 1 mile ahead on your right.
From the west: I-74 exit #88 (Sterling Avenue) turn right - South. Newman Golf Course will be 2 miles ahead on your left
