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Seven Aussies to battle it out
Indiana State University will host the NCAA Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships on Monday (23rd November) for which seven Australians have qualified as part of their respective US College teams.
Australian Flame member and last years Zatopek winner David McNeill, who won his region race, heads the list of Australians. McNeill and Ben Ashkettle who are running for Northern Arizona University, Rebecca Lowe (who also won her regional qualifier) and Genevieve Lacaze (Florida University), Matt Bayley (Iona University), Matt Gibney and Brooke Simpson (Villanova University), Zoe Buckman (Oregon University) make up the Australian contingent competing in the prestigious College championships.
Thirty-one seven-person teams will compete in both the men’s and women’s event for which the top 5 runners for each earning points towards their team total based on their individual placing.
In the women’s event much of the talk is whether anyone can knock-off last years undefeated champion, University of Washington. Writers of LetsRun.com think Brooke Simpson’s Villanova team is a quality underdog, but still tip UW to be victorious in a finish much tighter than many expect.
For the men, Oklahoma State and Stanford are the teams to beat, however look out for McNeill in the individual placings as he prepares to defend his Zatopek title in Melbourne on 10 December.
The current best individual placing by an Australian at the NCAA Cross Country Championships is second by Mike Power in 1999.
Both the championship races will be broadcast live online via ncaa.com with the men’s event beginning approximately 12.08pm and the women’s race approximately 12.58pm (4.08am and 4.58am Tuesday 24 November AEDT respectively).
For more information and results visit www.ncaa.com
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