University of Illinois
NCAA Midwest Regional
Illini MXC Ready for Midwest Regional
November 10, 2016 | Men's Cross Country
Men's race Friday at 12 p.m.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini men's cross country team heads to Iowa City, Iowa for the 2016 NCAA Midwest Regional, held at the Ashton Cross Country Course on Friday, November 11 at 12 p.m. central time. The Orange and Blue will be looking to qualify for NCAA Championships for the first time since 1986, while Dylan Lafond will looking to advance back to NCAA Championships for the second consecutive season.
| NCAA Midwest Regional | |
|---|---|
| When | Friday, November 11 // 12 p.m. CT |
| Where | Ashton Cross Country Course // Iowa City, Iowa |
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| Team Information | Media Guide | Performance List | Quick Facts | Twitter |
Qualifying for Nationals
A total of 31 teams will qualify for next weekend's NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana. Automatic qualification will be given to the top two teams at each of the nine regionals. The remaining 13 slots will be filled in an at-large selection process. Individually, 38 additional athletes will be added to the NCAA Championships field and the top four runners at each regional not on a qualifying team will be automatically selected.
A Look at the Competition
The Illini enter the regional meet ranked No. 7 in the Midwest by the USTFCCCA in their October 31 ranking. The Illini rank second among Big Ten schools in the region behind No. 5 Minnesota who scored only seven fewer points than Illinois at Big Ten Championships. No. 1 Oklahoma State and No. 2 Iowa State enter the race as the favorites to earn the two automatic qualifying spots for NCAA Championships.
Coach Stewart on the Meet
"I think we talked a lot about our guys approaching the race with the same expectations going into Big Tens. I think we ran aggressively and with the most confidence we had all year. We ran the mindset that we want to make things happen, and that was refreshing for our group to do. We're a good team. I think we have a little bit of momentum. I think our personnel fits the course we're going to be on on Friday. I think we can put ourselves in the mix to be in the top three or four, and I think that's the expectations are because we were seven points away from being in a good spot at Big Tens."
Regional Experience
Five Illini runners return from last season's Midwest Regional in Lawrence Kansas. Dylan Lafond led the way for the Orange and Blue, placing eighth overall with a time of 30:08.4 to advance to NCAA Championships. Sophomore Jesse Reiser clocked 30:34.6 in his first NCAA Midwest Regional, while Zack Smith (49th/31:18.6), Billy Magnesen (50th/31:18.8) and Dan Lathrop (31:20.9) also got their first regional race under their belt.
Illini Place 6th at Big Ten Championships
In a tightly contested Big Ten Championships, the Illini finished sixth overall and just seven points out of fourth place. Dylan Lafond earned his second All-Big Ten honor, placing 10th overall, while freshman Jon Davis (17th) and redshirt sophomore Zack Smith (30th) each placed in the top-30 individually. The 126 points scored by the Illini was the second lowest by the sixth-place team at Big Ten Championships in the last 12 seasons.
Orange and Blue Beat Four Ranked Squads at Joe Piane Invite
The Fighting Illini bounced back from the Roy Griak Invite by placing fifth at the Joe Piane Invite on the campus of Notre Dame, beating four ranked teams in the process. Freshman Jon Davis led the way with a time of 24:13.0, while Jesse Reiser and Dylan Lafond followed with times of 24:15.1 and 24:15.9, respectively.
Reiser Leads Illini in Debut at Griak
Making his season debut, sophomore Jesse Reiser was Illinois' top finisher at the Roy Griak Invite on September 24, placing 30th overall with a time of 25:47. The McHenry, Illinois native is coming off of a freshman campaign that saw him place 11th at Big Ten Championships and receive the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award, the first to do so in Illinois history.
Jon Davis Impresses in Debut
Making his Illini debut at the Bluegrass Invite, freshman Jon Davis clocked a 24:32.7 8K time that placed him third overall. Competing against host Kentucky and ninth-ranked Eastern Kentucky, Coach Stewart applauded his ability to follow the race plan and close hard at the end of the race.
Lafond of You
The Fighting Illini return senior All-American Dylan Lafond after the Manchester, New Hampshire native made his debut on Coach Stewart's squad last fall after transferring from the University of Mount Olive. Placing third at Big Ten Championships last season, Lafond is the top returning runner from last year's meet. FloTrack has Lafond ranked No. 21 in their preseason rankings. In addition to becoming the Illini's first cross-country All-American since 2007, Lafond has excelled on the track, earning All-America honors in the 3,000m steeplechase and breaking the school's indoor 3K and 5K records last winter.
Coach Stewart reels in Second Straight Top-10 Recruiting Class
For the second year in a row FloTrack has ranked the Orange & Blue in their recruiting class rankings. The 2016 class, led by three-time IHSA State Champion Jon Davis, ranks 10th in the nation and third in Big Ten. Stewart also brought in a top-10 class in 2015 with runners Jesse Reiser, Zach Dale and Caleb Hummer.
Up Next
For the teams and athletes that qualify, NCAA Championships will take place a week from Saturday, November 19 in Terre Haute, Indiana. The men's race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. central time.
