Entering Saturdays NCAA Midwest Regional with the region's No. 2 ranking, Illinois State's mens cross country team is looking to take its season one step further with a trip to the NCAA Championships.
The ranking is good, but it doesnt really mean anything, head coach Jeff Pigg said. All it does is show that weve had a good season. Its almost like an honor.
The Missouri Valley Conference Champion Redbirds have the opportunity to earn an appearance in the NCAA Championships with a finish as one of the top two teams.
The process has gone well from day one, Pigg said. They are as hungry and focused as they have been throughout the season. I feel that we are still building momentum when it would be easy for us to be tired and worn out. Were really excited about the opportunity to go out and race.
Competing for the Birds will be seniors Mark Reed, Peter Madsen and Lars Juhl along with Christian Goy, Kevin Bailey, Robert Breit and Todd Quendau.
Any one of our top four guys (Reed, Madsen, Juhl and Goy) can be way up there, Pigg said. All three guys (Bailey, Breit and Quendau) look great to be the fifth man. Having all of them running well takes the pressure off any one guy.
The top two team from the Midwest Region advance to the NCAA Championships as well as the top four individuals who are not members of the top two teams. The NCAA then selects 13 at-large teams and at-large individuals.
Its exciting to be in the hunt and having a chance, its one of the best parts of college athletics, Pigg added. These guys want it so bad, they will do anything. I know they will lineup and run their hardest, but no matter what happens we will have had a good year.
The 10K race begins at 11:30 a.m. at Warren Golf Course in Waterloo, Iowa.
