Nov. 2, 2000

Cross Country Squads Heading to Regional Competition This Weekend

The Truman State University men's and women's cross country teams will travel to Commerce, Texas for the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Cross Country Championships on Saturday. Texas A&M University-Commerce is hosting the meet, which will be made up of runners from 17 men's teams and 19 women's squads, predominantly from the Lone Star Conference and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

The Truman women, ranked 11th in the latest Division II Women's Cross Country poll, are coming off of their first-ever MIAA championship. The Bulldogs, led by a ninth-place finish from senior Kristi Willenberg (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell-UMKC) and a 10th-place finish from sophomore Leah Zidon (Bondurant, Iowa/Bondurant-Farrar), defeated host Central Missouri by one point on Oct. 21 to claim the conference title.

The women's 6,000-meter competition begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

The Bulldogs will be challenged by 12th-ranked Central Missouri and No. 14 Pittsburg State (Kan.) in addition to LSC champion Central Oklahoma and LSC runner-up Southeastern Oklahoma State.

The men's meet, run over a 10,000-meter course, leads off the competition at 9 a.m.

The Truman men are ranked 11th in the latest Division II Men's Cross Country poll and were runners-up at the MIAA Championships on Oct. 21. No. 7 Missouri Southern won the conference title and posted the top individual finisher in Petri Kykyri. Also in the regional field will be Central Missouri, ranked No. 12, and 16th-ranked Pittsburg State (Kan.).

The top-ranked men's team in the nation, Abilene Christian (Texas), also hails from the South Central Region. ACU, which defeated defending NCAA Division I champion Arkansas twice during the season, won the LSC title over Angelo State (Texas) last month. ACU is led by Alfred Rugema, who toured the LSC 8k course in Abilene in 25:05.74.

Truman had three individuals in the top 10 at the MIAA Championships, including junior Andy Doering (Florissant, Mo./McCluer North), who placed second overall with a time of 25:24.65 on the 8,000-meter course in Warrensburg. Juniors Matt Helbig (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit) and Ben Rosario (St. Louis, Mo./SLUH) were eighth and 10th, respectively and the MIAA meet.

The A&M-Commerce cross country course is completely on natural terrain, flat at the start with gradual hills and creek crossings along the trail.

The top four men's teams and top two women's teams, along with the top two individuals from non-advancing teams, will qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships, to be held Nov. 18 at Cal Poly Pomona.

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