Nov. 4, 2000

Men's Cross Country Qualifies for NCAA Division II Championships

At Saturday's NCAA Division II South Central Regional Cross Country Championships, the Truman State University men scored 81 points and placed third, earning a spot in the NCAA Division II Championships, which will be held Nov. 18 in Pomona, Calif.

Truman narrowly missed a second-place finish at Saturday's regional, falling to Missouri Southern by one point. Abilene Christian (Texas) had all five runners in the top seven and won with a score of 19 points at the meet, held in Commerce, Texas.

The Bulldogs will be making their first team appearance at nationals since 1996, when the squad placed 11th.

Juniors Andy Doering (Florissant, Mo./McCluer North) and Ben Rosario (St. Louis, Mo./SLUH) led Truman with eighth and ninth place finishes, respectively. Doering toured the 10,000-meter course in 34:08.33, while Rosario finished in 34:21.79.

The 'Dogs finished with four runners in the top 17, as freshman Alan Heincker (Dittmer, Mo./Grandview) and junior Matt Helbig (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit) finished 15th and 17th, respectively. Heincker ran a time of 34:39.67, while Helbig was about seven seconds back, in 34:46.71.

Junior Brian McQueary (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary's) rounded out Truman's top five, finishing 32nd in 35:58.70.

It will be the Bulldogs' 19th appearance at the NCAA Division II Championships and their eighth under head coach Ed Schneider. Schneider will also be inducted into the NCAA Division II Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Nov. 17.

The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association will be well-represented at the national meet, as Central Missouri State picked up the fourth and final qualifying spot at the regional by finishing fourth with 86 points.

Here are the Bulldogs' complete results from the regional meet:

FINAL TEAM SCORING
NCAA Division II South Central Regional
Commerce, Texas, Nov. 4, 2000
1. Abilene Christian            19
2. Missouri Southern            80
3. Truman                       81
4. Central Missouri             86
5. Pittsburg State (Kan.)      121
6. Emporia State (Kan.)        189
7. Northwest Missouri          220
8. Angelo State (Texas)        224
9. Missouri-Rolla              264
10. Southwest Baptist          274
11. Texas A&M-Commerce         280
12. Central Oklahoma           299

TRUMAN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Rank, Name	Time
 8. Andy Doering                                      34:08.33
 9. Ben Rosario                                       34:21.79
15. Alan Heincker                                     34:39.67
17. Matt Helbig                                       34:46.71
32. Brian McQueary                                    35:58.70
34. Mark DeBold (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit)         36:06.51
36. Nick Blackburn (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell)  36:19.11