Huskers Head Back to Missouri for Regionals

Huskers Compete for NCAA Bids

Two weeks after traveling to Columbia, Mo., for the Big 12 Championships, the Nebraska cross country team will head southeast of Lincoln once again for the NCAA Midwest Regional in Springfield, Mo., at the Missouri State Cross Country Facility.

 

The Husker men will be up first, running the 10K course at Noon, with the women’s 6K race to follow at 1:15 p.m.

 

As one of nine regional championships held nationally, the meet will consist of teams from Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota. A total of 10 conferences will also be represented, including the Atlantic-10, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference-USA, Horizon League, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, and Summit League, as well as one independent.

 

The top two teams and top four individuals not on a qualifying team automatically advance to the NCAA Championships. Additional teams and individuals are chosen through an at-large process on Sunday, Nov. 15, at no later than 6 p.m. (Central).

 

At the 2008 Regional Meet

The Nebraska women’s cross country team had one of its most memorable races in recent memory, as the Husker women finished third as a team, with four runners being named to the All-Midwest Region team. With the top-three finish, the women’s team was awarded an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships the following night.

 

The Big Red was led by two-time All-Midwest Region and All-Big 12 performer, Lara Crofford. Crofford came in seventh with a time of 20:57.60 in the field of 187. Crofford was directly followed by fellow 2008 All-Big 12 performer Rachel Carrizales with a time of 21:06.05. Natalja Callahan repeated as an All-Region performer with her 20th-place finish (21:31.55) and senior Jen Pancoast earned the first All-Region honor of her career, with a 23rd-place finish (21:34.25). The top 25 runners are named to the All-Region team.

 

The Huskers were rounded out by senior Betsy Miller (73rd), sophomore Jen Webers (87th) and redshirt freshman Ashley Miller (91st).

 

In the team race the Husker women finished behind regional champion Minnesota (57 points) and runner-up Illinois (64 points). However, the No. 29 Huskers were able to pull past the Iowa Hawkeyes, who entered the race ranked No. 20 in the USTFCCCA poll. The Huskers edged the Hawkeyes by just two points, 124 to 126.

 

The third-place finish was the highest for the women’s squad since 2003, the last time the team ran in Stillwater. The women won the regional behind Ann Gaffigan’s runner-up performance and had four runners earn All-Region honors as well.

 

On the men’s side the Huskers finished 10th as a team behind senior Kyle Custer’s 34th-place finish in the field of 165. Custer’s finish was tops for a Husker since 2002 when James Bowler finished sixth to help the Big Red come in fourth as a team.

 

Custer was joined by David Adams (43rd), Mikel Thomas (44th), Peter Falcon (74th), Anthony Oberle (85th) and Bryce Somer (100th).

 

10-Year Itch

The Nebraska women’s cross country team will look to achieve something in 2009 that it hasn’t done in 10 years - make a repeat trip to the NCAA Championships. From 1996 to 1999, the Huskers made four consecutive trips to the national meet, including three top-20 finishes.

 

Absent from the national meet since 2003, Coach Jay Dirksen’s 2008 team earned an at-large bid to the national meet in Terre Haute, Ind., after placing third at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Led by sophomore Lara Crofford, who finished 45th out of 252 runners, the Huskers placed 25th in the team standings at the NCAA meet. It was the squads’ top finish since 1999, when NU placed 16th.

 

Even with the departure of seniors Natalja Callahan, Jen Pancoast and Betsy Miller, the 2009 Huskers return a strong nucleus from last year that includes four runners who ran at the national meet. Leading the way will be Crofford, the team’s Most Valuable Runner in her first two seasons and a two-time All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Regional honoree. Joining Crofford is senior Rachel Carrizales, who also earned All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Region honors last season.

 

Adams Looks to Break Throw

Sophomore David Adams will have a chance this weekend of becoming the first Husker on the men’s side to earn a spot at the NCAA Championships since 2002, when James Bowler competed at the national meet after a sixth-place finish at regionals. To earn a spot, Adams will need to be one of the top four individual finishers that is not already on an automatic-qualifying team.

 

Bowler, who finished 84th in 2002, also ran at the 2001 meet when the Huskers qualified as a team, where he led the way with a 78th-place showing.

 

Crofford Looks for the Hat Trick

After earning All-Midwest Region honors in her first two season, junior Lara Crofford will be in search of her third straight honor this weekend in Springfield, Mo. On the women’s side, only Ann Gaffigan (2000-03) and Kathryn Handrup (1999-01) have earned three or more consecutive all-region honors, with Handrup earning her fourth honor in 2003 after a redshirt season in 2002.

 

The Husker women have also had at least two runners earn all-region honors at 10 of the past 12 regional meets, including four honorees in 2008 and two in 2007.

 

Dirksen’s Conference Success

In 27 seasons as the Huskers’ leader, Jay Dirksen has put together a successful resume at the conference championships. Along with five conference titles, Dirksen has produced 36-top five finishes and 21 top-three finishes, including the women’s 4th-place finish at the 2009 Big 12 Championships. He has also coached runners to 45 all-conference honors.

 

Third Time’s a Charm

After finishing runner-up at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational the past two seasons, Lara Crofford became the first Husker to win the individual crown since Ari Goldstein won it as a sophomore in 2006. A native of Newville, Pa., Crofford became the sixth Husker woman to win the individual crown, joining Goldstein (2006), Anne Shadle (2003) and Fran ten Bensel (1990-92).

 

Movin’ on Up

With his win at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational, sophomore David Adams posted the sixth-best all-time time on the course at 24:29.4. Adams was all alone on the course, finishing nearly 20 seconds ahead of the next closest runner. The York, Neb., native’s time is second-best time ever by a Husker, trailing Cleophas Boor’s time of 24:05.3 in 1996, which ranks third overall. Adams joins former Husker winners James Bowler (2002), Boor (1996), David Iteffa (1991) and Joe Kirby (1990).

 

Goldstein Receives Second Shot at Senior Year

One of the biggest additions to the 2009 women’s cross country team will be the return of senior Ari Goldstein. Goldstein was forced to redshirt last season after suffering from mononucleosis in the fall. An All-Big 12 performer in 2006 and 2007, Goldstein will add to the fire power that Jay Dirksen already has in frontrunners Lara Crofford and Rachel Carrizales, who each earned All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Regional accolades last season.