Nov. 17, 2006

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Senior Jason Bill will travel to Terre Haute, Ind. to compete at the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships hosted by Indiana State University on Monday, Nov. 20.

While the season may have ended for the Orange and Blue squad after finishing seventh as a team at the 2006 Midwest Region Championships, Bill led the Illini with a third-place finish overall in a time of 30:48.29 automatically qualifying for the championships. For his performance, Bill earned All-Midwest Region honors, which were released by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Nov. 14.

The NCAAs marks the third and final appearance for the senior at the championships. Bill's first appearance came as a freshman in 2002, finishing 155th with a time of 31:37.00. He also qualified in 2004 finishing 76th overall with a time of 32:22.

Head coach Wendel McRaven believes the experiences Bill has garnered over the years at this course will give him a step above the other competitors.

"I believe it is a huge advantage for Jason that he has been to the national meet before," McRaven said. "He won't be overwhelmed by the hype. He will be able to keep a cool head and run his race. Between nationals and pre-national races, he has probably run on this course more than any other course in his career."

After redshirting due to injury in 2005, Bill came back for his final season in full force and has finished as one of the top-two Illini in each race he has run this year. During his career at Illinois, Bill has made an immense impact on the men's cross country program by being a key contributor to the team since his freshman year. The Buda, Ill. native holds the fifth fastest 8K time in school history with a time of 23:59.4, which he ran at the 2004 Pre-Nationals meet.

"The goal is for Jason to earn All-America honors," McRaven said. "We both understand that this is a realistic goal. If Jason races with the same poise that he showed in Minnesota at the regional meet, then I am confident that he will reach his goal."

Competition at the NCAA Cross Country Championships is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. (CT) with the women's race, followed by the men at 12:15 p.m. (CT) at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course at the Wabash Family Sports Complex. Complete results can be found at http://www.indstate.edu/athletic/cross/championship/2006ncaa.html, while a recap of Jason Bill's performance can be found at www.fightingillini.com following the race.