UMAC Cross Country Teams to Race in 2015 Championship Saturday
2015 UMAC Cross Country Championship Webpage
Video Interview: Lauren Farquhar, Bethany Lutheran College
Video Interview: Grey Davis, Martin Luther College
BUFFALO, Minn. – Buffalo Heights Golf Course in Buffalo, Minn. and North Central University are set to host the 2015 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships this Saturday, October 31. The nine UMAC women’s teams will race at 12 p.m., followed by the men at 1 p.m.
The 2014 UMAC Women’s Team Champion, the University of Minnesota Morris, was predicted to once again claim the title in 2015 accordingly the league coaches’ preseason poll. The Cougars lost 2014 UMAC Individual Champion Amanda Peters but return four All-UMAC runners from last year’s championship team to the field on Saturday in Rachel Wingenbach, Laura Borkenhagen, Nicole Deziel and Hannah Goemann as they look to earn repeat UMAC trophies.
The Cougars will be challenged by a tough field of UMAC teams on Saturday including the College of St. Scholastica. The Saints were selected to finish in second place at this year’s championship in the UMAC preseason poll and will return two-time all-conference performers Andrea Mogren and Jordan Johnson on Saturday. At the St. Olaf Invitational earlier this season the Saints led the seven UMAC teams competing, edging UMAC favorite Minnesota Morris by five points.
Following the Saints in the preseason poll were Bethany Lutheran College and the University of Wisconsin-Superior who tied for third place. The Vikings are led this season by Lauren Farquhar and Megan Sauer who both finished in the top 12 at last year’s Championship to earn all-conference honors. The Vikings have had a strong season thus far with Lauren Farquhar running a lifetime best of 23:11 at the Carleton Invite and the team winning their first title in program history at the MLC Invite. Wisconsin-Superior will compete in their first UMAC Cross Country Championship on Saturday and hopes to be in the mix for the team title. The Yellowjackets are led by freshman Kelli Praska who ran a season best time of 23:12 twice this season.
The Martin Luther College women were picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll but have sights set on finishing above that mark on Saturday with several runners setting personal bests in the last two weeks of competition. A young University of Northwestern team, led by senior Alyssa Arends, was predicted to finish sixth in the preseason coaches’ poll with North Central University following in seventh. The Rams boast two-time all-conference runner Annalise Schroeder who looks to add another accolade on Saturday. Schroeder crossed the finish line at the Les Duke Invitational with a season best time of 24:01 in September.
Rounding out the selections in the 2015 UMAC Women’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll were Crown College and Northland College who finished tied for eighth place. Both programs have first-year head coaches this season in Bill Braunger (Crown) and Peter Macky (Northland) and will look to add to the competition in the field on Saturday.
For the men, the College of St. Scholastica will look to extend their UMAC Championship streak to seven. The Saints return plenty of experience to the Championship field as Chris Lawson, Luke McKenzie, Jacob Gallagher and Josh Trosen all return after finishing in the top 12 and earning all-conference accolades at least year’s championship. It was the second honor for McKenzie and third for Lawson, who was the Individual Champion in 2013.
The preseason coaches’ poll predicted the Saints to finish in second place behind conference newcomer, the University of Wisconsin-Superior. The Yellowjackets have had a strong showing this fall, finishing ahead of the Saints at the St. Olaf Invitational earlier this season. Charles Corbett leads the way for Superior, turning in a top time of 25:00.9 at the AAE Invitational earlier this season.
Predicted to finish behind the Saints and in third place in the preseason coaches’ poll was Martin Luther College. The Knights, who finished in second place at the 2014 Championship, have a veteran team set to run in Saturday’s Championship including three time All-UMAC runner Grey Davis, two-time all-conference performer Darian Schnose and Justin Wilkens and Jonathan Flieschmann who both earned all-conference recognition in 2014. Davis finished in second place individually at last year’s championship meet.
Following the Knights in the preseason coaches’ poll and predicted to finish in fourth place is Bethany Lutheran College. The Vikings boast 2014 Men’s Individual Champion and two-time all-conference performer Owen Richardson.
The University of Minnesota Morris was selected to finish in fifth place, but don’t count the Cougars out of the hunt for the 2015 title. Minnesota Morris returns two-time all-conference standout to the roster this season. Combellick set a new school record two weeks ago at the AAE Meet in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, breaking his own record by 43 seconds with a time of 25:09. As a team, the Cougars turned in their best average time at a meet in school history at that same meet.
The University of Northwestern was selected to finish in sixth place in the preseason poll but the Eagles hope to better that prediction on Saturday as they return 2014 All-UMAC runners Wil Maki and Jackson Peterson to Saturday’s championship race.
Selected to finish in seventh place was Northland College. The LumberJacks are in a rebuilding season with first-year head coach Peter Macky. A young University of North Central team finished in eighth place in the preseason poll, followed by Crown College who is led this season by first-year head coach Bill Braunger.
The women’s 6k race will begin at 12 p.m., followed by the men’s 8k at 1 p.m. Please visit the UMAC Cross Country Championship
webpage for more information.