University of Illinois
NCAA Championships
MXC Prepped for NCAA Championships
November 18, 2016 | Men's Cross Country
Race begins at 11 a.m. central time at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini men's cross country team will make their first appearance at NCAA Championships in 30 years on Saturday, November 19 in Terre Haute, Indiana at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course. Led by Head Coach Jake Stewart, the Illini are coming off of a third-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet, the program's best since 2002.
| NCAA Midwest Regional | |
|---|---|
| When | Saturday, November 19 // 12 p.m. ET, 11a.m. CT |
| Where | LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course // Terre Haute, IN |
| Meet Resources | Meet Notes | Meet Central | 10K Map | Live Results | Live Stream ($) | USTFCCCA Rankings | Box Assignments |
| Team Information | Media Guide | Performance List | Quick Facts | Twitter |
Running for the Illini
Head Coach Jake Stewart will send out the same seven as he did at the NCAA Midwest Regional, spearheaded by 2015 All-American Dylan Lafond. Joining Lafond will be 2016 All-Region honorees Jon Davis (Fr.) and Jesse Reiser (So.). Dan Lathrop and Zach Dale each scored for the Illini last week, while Sean Pengelly and Zack Smith rounded out the group.
A Look at the Competition
The Illini enter NCAA Championships ranked 24th by the USTFCCCA pre-championship poll and is one of three Big Ten teams at the meet, joining Big Ten Champion No. 12 Wisconsin and runner-up No. 15 Michigan State. Illinois will see Midwest regional foes Oklahoma State (No. 8), Tulsa (No. 16) and Iowa State (No. 23) for the second straight week. Illinois edged out Iowa State by seven points last week in Iowa City. Nationally, Northern Arizona enters the meet ranked No. 1, while fellow west coast schools No. 2 Colorado, No. 3 Stanford and No. 4 BYU are in the mix.
History in the Making
The Illini will be making the program's 15th overall appearance at NCAA Championships, the first dating back to 1941. In 1956, the Illinois harriers had their best NCAA finish in school history, placing fourth as a team. Individually, the men's cross country team boasts 22 All-Americans, including Dylan Lafond's 29th place finish at last year's meet. Illini legend Craig Virgin leads the program with four All-America honors, including his 1975 NCAA title. Virgin set the Illinois 10,000m school record the following season (1976) at NCAA Championships with a time of 28:26.6.
Championship Experience
Although the Orange and Blue have not been to NCAA Championships as a team since 1986, senior Dylan Lafond returns to NCAA Championships for his second straight season. As a junior, Lafond received an at-large bid to the national meet, where he placed 29th overall (30:18.2) to earn his first All-America honor. Although no experience at the NCAA meet, Lafond's six teammates all ran on this course at least once during their high school careers.
Coach Stewart Named USTFCCCA Midwest Coach of the Year
Illinois men's cross country head coach Jake Stewart was the Roy Griak Midwest Region Cross Country Coach of the Year, as announced Tuesday, November 15, by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Voted on by the Division I coaches, Jake Stewart became the first Illinois men's head coach to receive the honor since the award began in 1998.
Orange and Blue Return to Rankings
After making a brief cameo appearance in the USTFCCCA rankings on October 4 (No. 29), the Illini were ranked No. 24 in the pre-national meet rankings, released on November 14. The Fighting Illini also entered the Flo-Track Top-25 this week, checking in at No. 21. Illinois' highest ranking under Coach Stewart came last season when the Illini were pegged at No. 19 by USTFCCCA following their runner-up finish at Big Ten Championships.
Best Regional Finish Since 2002
The Fighting Illini recorded their best regional finish in 14 seasons, as Coach Stewart's squad placed third at the Midwest Regional behind regional powerhouses Oklahoma State and Tulsa. Dylan Lafond led the Illini with a fifth-place finish, while Jon Davis (17th) and Jesse Reiser (25th) also earned All-Region honors. As a team, the Orange and Blue edged out No. 13 Iowa State for third place, while also topping Big Ten foe Minnesota, who beat the Illini at Big Ten Championships.
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.
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.
