University of Illinois
NCAA Regionals
NCAA Midwest Regional Next Up for Illini Cross Country
November 7, 2017 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
Top two teams earn automatic bid to NCAA Championships
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini men's and women's cross country heads west to Ames, Iowa for the NCAA Midwest Regional meet on Friday, November 10. Hosted by Iowa State University, both races will be held at the ISU Cross Country Course. The women's race will be the first to be contested, beginning at 10:45 a.m. central time, followed by the men's race at 11:45 a.m. The top two teams in each race will receive automatic bids to NCAA Championships next weekend in Louisville, Kentucky.
| 2017 NCAA Midwest Regionals | |
|---|---|
| When | Friday, November 10 |
| Where | ISU Cross Country Course // Ames, Iowa |
| Meet Information | Live Results | Championship Central | Men's 10K Map | Women's 6K Map |
| Men's Information | Meet Notes | Performance Lists | Media Guide | Quick Facts |
| Women's Information | Meet Notes | Performance Lists | Media Guide | Quick Facts |
| Social Media | @IlliniMXC @IlliniWXC  | #Illini | @Illinimxc @illiniwxc  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
Meet Information
Running for the Illini
| Men | Women |
|---|---|
| Jesse Reiser | Miranda Marry |
| Zach Dale | Nicki Cast |
| Jon Davis | Nicole Choquette |
| Zack Smith | Rebecca Craddock |
| Jack LaLonde | Katie Stapleton |
| Dan Lathrop | Allison McGrath |
| Billy Magnesen | Morgan Schulz |
Follow the Meet
Live results for the NCAA Midwest Regional can found via Prime Time Timing at https://results.flotrack.org/XC-PTT.html?mid=1302. Fans can follow @IlliniMXC and @IlliniWXC on Twitter for updates during the meet. A full recap will be posted on fighgtingillini.com following the completion of the meet.
National Qualifying Process
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.
Entry & Parking Information
Admission to the NCAA Midwest Regional meet is free to the public with fan parking located in Lots 61A and 61B.
Course Information
The host of this season's Big 12 Championships, Iowa State is set to host their second regional meet in the last five years after first hosting in 2013. The course, first dedicated in 1995, has also hosted two NCAA Championship meets, first in their inaugural season and again in 2000. Iowa State recently renovated the course with one million dollar improvements to its irrigation system and creating a finish line with two large grass berms.
Men's Competition At A Glance
With three of the top four teams from last year's regional back holding the top three spots according to the USTFCCCA weekly poll, Illinois will again compete against Big 12 powers Oklahoma State and Iowa State. The host Cyclones recently moved into the top spot in the region, ranking 14th nationally, while Oklahoma State comes in ranked 19th. Potential challengers to the top three on the men's side are Minnesota and Tulsa. Minnesota placed sixth at Big Ten Championships last week, while Tulsa is coming off their fourth straight American Athletic Conference title and placed second at last year's regional meet in Iowa City.
Coach Stewart on the Men's Race:
"It's a continuation of the point we've driven home that, whether it's a race or a workout, whatever the case may be, we're focused on being the best versions of ourselves on that day. Every race we've run I think we've done a really good job of that. One of the positive things for our group is the experience that we have running a 10K on grass. Every guy, with the exception of Jack LaLonde, has run in this race before, and has run well in this race before."
A Looks at the Women's Race
Minnesota leads the women's regional rankings entering the Midwest Regional, as the Gophers are coming off a runner-up finish at Big Ten Championships, which raised their national ranking to No. 13. Iowa State enters as the other favorite, ranked 20th overall, after winning the Big 12 team title. Oklahoma State and Missouri are both receiving votes as the third and fourth team in the region.
Coach Haveman on the Women's Race:
"Friday will be another great opportunity for our team to continue to grow and evolve. It will be important that the women focus on working together and following a plan."
Illini History at NCAA Regionals
The Illini men are coming off their best regional finish in 15 years, placing third for the first time since 2002. The program's lone regional title came in 1976 when Craig Virgin won his third straight regional individual crown; while it's most recent individual champion was Trent Hoerr in 2007. On the women's side, the Orange and Blue have twice had an individual champion -- Cassie Hunt winning it in 2004 and Angela Bizzarri taking first in 2009 on her way to a national title.
Up Next
NCAA Championships is on the horizon for Illinois teams and individuals that qualify. The national meet will be held in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday, November 19 at E.P. 'Tom' Sawyer State Park.
For complete coverage of Fighting Illini cross country, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@IlliniMXC and @IlliniWXC) and Instagram (@IlliniMXC and @IlliniWXC) and like Fighting Illini Men's Cross Country and Fighting Illini Women's Cross Country on Facebook.
