It's been 30 years since the Illinois men's cross country team has advanced to NCAA Championships. With the Illini set to break the drought this Saturday in Terre Haute, Indiana, we throwback to the the 1986 squad and their run at NCAA Championships in Tucson, Arizona. 

How They Got There:

Coached by Illini legend Gary Wieneke, the Orange and Blue took second place at the District IV meet, held at the Illinois State University golf course, finishing behind Wisconsin. Joe Leuchtmann led the group with a 10th place finish, clocking 30:09.6 to crack the Illinois 10K top-10 list at the time. Senior Jeff Jacobs followed Leuchtmann in 13th, while Dave Halle (19th), Paul Kivela (24th) and Jon Thanos (33rd) also scored for the Illini.

Two weeks prior, the Illini placed runner-up to Wisconsin at Big Ten Championships, as Halle led the team in sixth place. 

1986 NCAA Championships Team Results:

1.Arkansas - 69
2.Dartmouth - 141
3.Boston - 147
4.Oregon - 185
5.Colorado - 195
6.Arizona - 224
7.ILLINOIS - 231
8.Florida - 253
9.Texas - 254
10.Northern Arizona - 269

Ranked No. 9 in the national poll prior to the meet, the Illini outperformed expectations, placing two spots higher. After finishing behind Wisconsin at both the Big Ten meet and the District IV meet, the Illini got some revenge on the Badgers, as the boys from Madison No. 13 at NCAA Championships. The only other Big Ten representative, Purdue, finished 20th overall.  

Illinois Results:

20. Joe Leuchtmann, 31:26.86
40. Jeff Jacobs, 31:50.06
46. David Halle, 31:55.05
100. Paul Kivela, 32:45.84
103. Jon Thanos, 32:47.39
125. John Jacobson, 33:15.15
139. Greg Reynolds, 33:34.48

Historical Significance

Not only was the seventh-place finish the last time Illinois made it to NCAA Championships, but it also marked the best finish for the Orange and Blue since Craig Virgin's senior season when the Illini placed fifth at the national meet.