Cross Country Teams Compete at NCAA Regionals

Nov. 12, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS - Most of the Horizon League's ten schools had cross country squads participating in NCAA Regional Action over the weekend. Butler, Detroit, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Valparaiso, and Youngstown State competed at the Great Lakes Regional in Bloomington, Ind., while Loyola and UIC ran at the Midwest Regional meet in Peoria, Ill.

Butler junior Andy Baker and senior Genni Gardner, and Valparaiso junior Laura Rolf were all automatic qualifiers for the National Championship race that will take place on Monday, November 19 in Terre Haute, Ind. Baker earned third-place individually, as his team earned 15th overall. His 10K time of 30:40.81 was just two seconds behind the runner-up. On the women's side, Rolf earned sixth-place in 6K race with a time of 20:56.62, while Gardner followed with a ninth-place with a time of 21:15.18, leading her team to fifth-place overall. Milwaukee's Holly Nearman also performed well, finishing in 12th place with a time of 21:27.78, and recording the top regional finish for any woman in Panther school history.

The 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute. The men's race is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with the women's championship following at 12:55 p.m. Both races will be broadcast live on CSTV.