FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks men's and women's cross country running teams head to Monmouth, Oregon to participate in the NCAA West Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Ash Creek Preserve. The women will compete in the 6km race at 9am AKT before the men toe the line for the 10km race at 10am AKT.
"We just finished our last speed workout of the season and the team is looking fast," head coach
Nick Crawford said on Thursday. "The weather has kept us on our toes for training in Fairbanks with a mix of snow and ice but the team has done a good job of keeping up the training and staying injury free, despite the less-than-ideal running conditions."
Last Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks men's and women's cross country running teams had two weeks rest since their last competition, which saw the women place seventh in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in Bellingham, Washington while the men placed ninth. Junior
Alex Bergholtz paced the women's 6km race for the Nanooks with a 33rd place finish (23:26.80) while sophomore
Lukash Platil was the first male Nanook to cross the finish line with a 37th place finish (26:45.63) in the men's 8km.
Where to Watch & Listen
This year's NCAA West Regional Championships will be streamed live through the Western Oregon University's Stretch Internet Portal (link above), that will also feature audio commentary and the awards ceremony directly following the men's race.
Live results will also be available to Nanook fans through the link above. Please note that results are deemed unofficial until the conclusion of the 15-minute protest period following each race.
Championship Format
The West Regional Championships are one of eight regions vying for a spot at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Running Championships that will be held in Evansville, Indiana. The top-three teams from each regional meet will automatically advance to the national championships (24 teams total), with an additional team allocations (eight) being awarded based on a regional/NCAA formula. The top-three individuals who are not part of a qualifying team will automatically advance to the championships (24 individuals total) and all individuals who finish in the top-five at the regional meet that are not part of a qualifying team will automatically advance.
Crawford's Thoughts – Women's Team
"The women are coming off of their best finish at the GNAC Championships since 2011 and we're really looking forward to carrying that momentum going into the weekend."
Crawford's Thoughts – Men's Team
"The men raced really well at last year's NCAA West Region Championships and also two years ago when we last raced at Western Oregon. I'm looking forward to going back and hopefully finishing up the season on a high note."
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's and women's cross country running teams, follow @AlaskaNanooksXC on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks XC team page on Facebook.
