Bobby Unser, a retired car racer, once said, “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” Runners this weekend will be looking to apply this quote at the DII cross country national championships in Evansville, Indiana to achieve success. The Evansville course appears to be the perfect setting for the culmination of this 2009 season. The weather is shaping up to have a high 62 degrees with only a 20% chance of rain. Likely, the course will be damp due to rain earlier in the week. Lively debate and commentary is always encouraged. Flotrack is a community.

The course is not an easy one and can be described as rolling. The women’s course is two loops. The first kilometer will be quick as it drops in elevation. A short gradual 300 meter climb follows before descending to its lowest point at the 2k point. The runners will then come face to face with Shoe Tree Hill. Having run this hill myself, I can tell you it hurts. The hill rises sharply for 100 meters leaving legs a bit numb. It continues to climb till the 3k mark.  The second loop is identical to the first with Shoe Tree hill coming right before the finish.  Southern Indiana’s cross country coach, Coach Hillyard comments, “The toughest part of the course for the women will be the 2nd climb up Shoe Tree Hill. The hill comes right after the 5k mark, and there is simply no relief from there as the course rises from its lowest to highest points in elevation in this final kilometer (about 100 feet elevation gain)”.

The men’s course consists of a 3k loop, 4k loop followed by a 3k loop. The 3k loop is the same as the women’s 3k loop. The 4k loop is the 3k loop with a 1k added to the 2^nd loop. This extra 1k could be considered the toughest part of this whole course for within it is a 200 meter climb up Strue Hill followed by a 400 meter descent. The runners will then come to Shoe Tree Hill.

“The toughest part of the men’s course will be 5k to 7k: Strue Hill and Shoe Tree Hill sandwiched back to back” Coach Hillyard continues, “It will favor, first of all, those with plenty of  intestinal fortitude.  I would compare it to the old Slippery Rock course, a course that tended to favor the most aerobically fit (not necessarily the fastest track performers) and the patient, especially with regard to the men’s course.”

Last year’s champion, Chico State’s Scott Bauhs, has graduated, making way for a new winner. The perpetual bridesmaid in cross country, Adams State’s Aaron Braun is back as the top returner. Yet, he is not the outright best runner on his team this season with Brian Medigovich winning central region race and Reuben Mwei winning the conference meet. Each win was with a small margin of victory that could easily close at the championships. Harding’s Daniel Kirwa was seventh last year and has had some impressive wins against tough competition this year. The weather this year should be more to his liking then last year’s frigid conditions. Though his team did not make it, Abilene Christian’s Amos Sang is back and was the only one of his team to make. He is set up for a good race. Alaska Anchorage’s Mark Cheseto is making a name for himself winning the west region. He was in the top ten last year and has only gotten faster since. Queen's Michael Crouch is out wth an injury. Also look for Queen’s Oscar Ogwaro and American International’s Glarius Rop to have an impact on the race.

Last year in the men’s team competition, it was Adams States took home top honors with 67 points, besting their rival Western (88).  The top five was rounded out by Chico (120), Abilene Christian (128), and Grand Valley (190).   Adams State is heading into the championships ranked number one by the USTFCCCA poll and with the front group that they have, they are the odds on favorites. Western is ranked second followed by Grand Valley State, Chico State and Colorado School of Mines. If any of these teams have an off day, Queens or Western Washington could easily slip into the top five.

Seattle Pacific’s Jessica Pixler is back to defend her cross country title and win her third cross country crown. It will not be a cake walk; Shippensburg’s Neely Spence will surely be right on her heels. Spence was second her freshman year and with a year of college competition under her feet, she has improved. The rest of the top five is a bit muddier look for Missouri Southern’s Kimi Shank, Minnesota Duluth’s Morgan Place, and Western Washington’s Sarah Porter to be in the front.

Last year in the women’s competition, Adams State took their 6^th team title with 79 points. They were followed by Grand Valley (102), Western State (183), Seattle Pacific (194), and Augustana (203). USTFCCCA has Grand Valley ranked number one heading into the championships followed by Missouri Southern State, Alaska Anchorage, Adams State and Chico State.  I would not rank defending champions, Adams State fourth. Look for them to break the top three.

The video has my top three predictions for each contest and I will there to bring some post race coverage.