Most people on the morning of November 3 where sleeping warmly in their beds. Most fans of distance running were glued to their television sets following the New York City Olympic Qualifying trial, and some were lucky enough to be New York to follow it live. I, along with many other Division II runners, was toeing the line of a Regional meet to attempt to gain a bid to NCAA national championships on November 17, 2007. The Regional meets answer many questions but leave some unanswered. Some of these questions are: What happened to Nicodemus Naimadu? Who is going to step up to take his place? With some top women finishers not returning who is going to take their place? Can Abilene Christian’s men live up to their number one ranking? Can Adam’s State or Western State upset them? Or maybe the winner will be a dark horse? Can Adams State’s women continue their winning way at the national championship? We will not know till November 17, but till then we can at least speculate at how it will unfold. West-Seattle Pacific’s Jessica Pixler defended her regional women’s title running the 6k course in 19:52. It is the only sub 20 regional time in the last ten years on the regional course. Pixler was 33 seconds ahead of teammate, Jane Larson, who placed second in a time of 20:26.0. Chico State’s Sarah Montez (20:27), Northwest Nazarene Ashley Puga (20:36), and Cal St. Los Angeles’ Karla Alburez (20:45) rounded out the top five and all will advance to the national meet. Also advancing was Western Washington’s Sarah Porter who placed 13th with a time of 21:15. Seattle Pacific placed three athletes in the top six and four in the Top 15 and outpointed defending champ Cal State L.A. 45-54 to win the team title, it’s first since edge UC Davis 56-59 for the 1996 crown. Chico State finished third with 64 points and UC San Diego placed fourth with 125. All four teams advance to the NCAA national championships. “The race was an amazing experience for my team. God blessed everyone with strong personal performances and it was exciting to win SPU a Regional Championship (which hasn't been done by a team in over a decade). The weather was gorgeous and I had a lot of fun on the course” said Jessica Pixler. St. Martin’s John Riak won the men’s regional title covering the 10k course in 30:32 edging Central Washington’s Sam Scotchmer by three seconds who finished in 30:35. Chico State’s Tim Tollefson (30:40), Alaska Anchorage’s David Kiplagat (30:44), and Western Washington’s Bennett Grimes (30:48) rounded out the top five and all will be advancing to national meet. Chico State placed six runners in the Top 15 and cruised to its sixth consecutive NCAA Division II West Regional men’s cross country team title Saturday.Chico finished with 39 team points finishing well ahead of Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion Western Washington, which finished second with 93 points. UC San Diego edged Western Oregon 135-140 for third place. Chico State, Western Washington and UC San Diego all qualified for the NCAA Division II national meet."On paper it may look like just another solid year for a group of veteran runners, but the fact is that we had only two men running this weekend with any regional experience and the best finish of the two was a 20th place effort in 2006."said Chico State coach, Gary Towne. North Central- First time winner Adams State’s Tanya Gaurmer won the regional women’s title in 20:44 over the 6k course, eleven seconds over second place, South Dakota’s Ramsey Kavan who ran a 20:55. Gaurmer and Kavan ran together for most of the course before Gaurmer pulled away to win by more than 10 seconds. Augustana’s Rachel Stangler (21:01), Adams State’s Brittany Somers (21:07), North Dakota’s Heidi Evans(21:08) rounded out the top five. Adams State College women's cross country team placed five runners in the top ten while dominating the rest of the field to claim their fifth NCAA Division II North Central Regional Championship title in the last six years scoring 28 points. Augustana and Western State tied for second with 86 points. South Dakota (115) and North Dakota (149) rounded out the top five with all five teams advancing to the national meet. New Mexico Highlands' Laurent Ngirakamaro set a course record of 29:44.58 to win the men’s regional title. Adam State’s Reuben Mwei came in second with a time of 30:16. Western State’s Iain Donnan (30:19), Aaron Clark (30:21) and Adams State’s Aaron Braun (30:23) rounded out the top five. Western State edged Adams State by a mere one point to take the men’s regional title 45 points to 46 points. Joining Western State and Adams State will be joined at nationals by Minnesota State Mankota with 89 points, Colorado Mines with 97 points and New Mexico Highlands with 149 points. South Central-Abilene Christian’s Winrose Karunde won her first ever South Central Regional Cross Country women’s Championship covering the 6k course in 20:39, a mere second over Emporia State’s Jonel Rossbach who ran a 20:40. Abilene Christian’s Loice Cheboi (21:20), Missouri Southern’s Kimi Shank (21:28) and Abilene Christian’s Mary Mwangi (21:43) rounded out the top five. Missouri Southern women’s team took the team competition on their home course with 65 points over Abilene Christian who scored 101 points. Pittsburg State (139), Fort Hays State (163) and Dallas Baptist (170) rounded out the top five. With an absent Nicodemus Naimadu, Abilene Christian’s Serge Gasore won the South Central Regional Cross Country men’s Championship covering the 10k course in 30:28. Gasore was followed closely by teammate Julius Nyango who ran a 30:33. Missouri Southren’s Dustin Dixon (31:02), Abilene Christian’s Philip Birgen(31:07) and Pittsburg State’s Tim Testa (31:08) rounded out the top five. Not to be out done by their women’s team, Missouri Southren’s men team took the team title with a score of 41 points over Abilene Christian who scored 55 points. Pittsburg State (84), Southwest Baptist (98) and Emporia State (160) rounded out the top five. Great Lakes- Wayne State’s Rachelle Malette won the Great Lake Regional individual title by covering the 6k course in 21:12 nearly 20 seconds ahead of Wisconsin Parkside’s Jessica Lamp who ran a 21:32. Southern Indiana‘s Mary Ballinger (21:37), Wisconsin Parkside’s Naomi Fulton (21:39) and Northern Kentucky’s Julianne Hoekzema (21:41) rounded out the top five. Grand Valley State won the team title by placing all seven runners in the top 15 and scoring 40 points. Wayne State (117), Wisconsin Parkside (130), Southern Indiana (151), and Northern Michigan (211) rounded out the top five teams. Grand Valley State’s Nate Peck took the individual title by covering the 10k course in a time 31:05 nearly 30 seconds over Southern Indiana’s Paul Jellema who ran a 31:36. Peck’s teammates rounded out the top five; James Gale (31:38), Robbie Young (31:46), and Chris Hammer (31:48). Grand Valley had an impressive win in the team competition by placing six runners in the top ten and scoring a low 20 points over Wayne State’s 90 points. Southern Indiana (134), Northern Kentucky (147), and Ashland (176) rounded out the top five. South- Harding’s Janee Jones took the women’s individual title by covering the 6k course in the time of 21:17, two seconds ahead of Tampa’s Laura Woznicki. A pack formed early of Jone, Woznicki, Harding’s Rysper Sirma and University of Alabama Huntsville’s Caitlin Heider coming thru the first mile in about 5:29. Jones, Woznicki, and Heider broke away a little after the two mile mark. Jones and Woznicki eventually dropped Heider with around 800m to go. Woznicki was overcome by Jones with about 300m to the finish and Jones powered down the homestretch. Tampa won the team title with 40 points over Harding who had 55 points. Alabama Huntsville (79), Floridian Southern (148) and Augusta State (191) rounded out the top five. Benedict’s Emmanuel Kirwa won his first individual men’s South Regional title covering the 10k course in the time of 31:53 over Harding’s James Cheruiyot who ran a 31:58. Morehouse’s Abraham Kiprotich (32:16), Florida Southern’s Luke Beevor (32:23). Florida Southern won the team title with 61 points. Alabama Huntsville and Tampa tied for second with 103 points. Harding (106) and West Florida (154) rounded out the top five teams. Southeast- In her first 6k, Distract of Columbia’s Stella Sang took the Southeast regional women’s title at Wingate University in North Carolina with a time 23:32. The race was close between the top three runners: Sang, Anderson’s Diana Willard and Carson Newman’s Aubrey Morris going into the third mile, where Sang made her move opening up a 13 second gap over Willard who ran a 23:45. The top five runners advanced individually. Carson Newman’s Aubrey Morris (23:53), St.Andrews' Alyson Trovato (23:56) and Lenoir Rhyne’s Genna Eisenmann (24:04) rounded out the top five. “It was a good race, I was nervous before but was relaxed the whole time and only started straining during the last mile” Sang said. In the women’s team completion Lees-McRae’s team will advance to the national meet with a score of 70 points. Wingate will also be advancing by placing second with a score of 117 point. Mars Hill (150 points), Carson-Newman (167) and Lenoir Rhyne (187) finished out the top five. Queen’s Daniel Kanyaruhuru won the men’s 10k race in an impressive time of 30:28, with almost a two minute gap over second place, Wingate’s Jayce Watson who ran a 32:19. Kanyaruhuru waited till around the third mile to pull away and never looking back running the rest of the race alone. Queen’s teammate Ryan Connelly (32:27), St. Andrew’s Mitch Cooper (32:31), Lees-McRae’s Lewis Martin (32:33) also advanced rounding out the top five. In the men’s team competition Queen University scored a low 40 points over Mars Hill’s 92 points. Both teams will advance to nationals. Lees-McRae (114), St. Andrews (151), and Anderson (156) rounded out the top 5. “The team ran great, they were well prepared. They ran as good as they are and they are only getting better” said Queen’s Coach Scott Simmons. East- As the highest returning woman runner to NCAA Nationals, Edinboro’s Rachel Lanzel claimed the East Regional individual women’s title finishing the 6k course in 20:57 over Kutztown’s Stephanie Williams (21:28) and Joanna Horstmann (21:38). Clarion’s Erin Richards (21:42) and Slippery Rock’s Jaime Wright (21:42) rounded out the top five. Bloomsburg took the women’s team title by scoring 62 points over Edinboro who scored 81 points. Kutztown (87), Indiana, Pa. (110) and Clarion(146) rounded out the top five team. Slippery Rock’s Jeff Weis won East Regional individual men’s title covering the 10k course in 30:32 nearly 30 seconds over teammate Pat Reagan who ran a 31:01. Mansfield’s Chris Cumming (31:11), Slippery Rock’s Matt Bluman (31:14) and Edinboro’s Dave Niemira (31:20) finished out the top five spots. Edinboro took top honors with a score of 47 points over Slippery Rock who scored 58 points. Lock Haven (95), Shippensburg (130) and Mansfield (162) rounded out the top five. Northeast- Bryant’s Nicole Radzik won the Northeast Regional women’s title covering the 6k course in 22:43. Bentley’s Melissa Nash was second with a time of 22:54. Stonehill’s Kristina Coriaty (23:03), Kelly O'Toole (23:09) and Adelphi’s Ify Anene (23:06) rounded out the top five. Stonehill took the team title with a score of 45 placing their top five in the top twenty. UMass Lowell came in second with at score of 74 points. Bentley (84), Adelphi (131) and Southern Conn. State (192) rounded out the top five. NYIT’s Evans Kigen won the Northeast Regional men’s title with a time of 31:56 over a 10k course. UMass Lowell duo of Stephen DeWitt (32:03) and Ruben Sanca (32:08) along with Stonehill’s David Metzger (32:17) rounded out the top five. Stonehill took the men’s team title a mere four points over UMass Lowell with a score of 40-44. Southern Conn. State (72), NYIT (137) and Bentley (184) rounded out the top five. “I was pleased with the men's race we ran very solid. Joey DeWitt was fighting a bit of a cold which hurt us team wise and two of our top five guys from our conference meet did not run but we put seven guys in the top eighteen so that's about all you can ask. Stonehill ran a great race and squeaked by us but the important piece is getting the bid” said UMass Lowell’s Coach Gary Gardner. Good luck to all who qualified and I hope to be there to witness the action. *image courtsey of South Region. Oh, and I just booked my ticket to Joplin,Missouri!So if anyone else is going to be there let me know.