CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Fighting Illini cross country continues postseason competition with the NCAA Midwest Regional meet on Friday, November 15. The women's 6K will kick-off action at 10:30 a.m. CT. The men's 10K race will follow, and is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. CT.
Meet Information
Follow the Meet
Fans can stream the NCAA Midwest Regional with a subscription to FloTrack. Live Results for the regional can be accessed at http://results.tfmeetpro.com/Big_River_Race_Management/2019_NCAA_XC_Midwest_Regional/ . Fans can follow @IlliniTrackXC on Twitter and Instagram for updates during the meet. Results for both races will be posted following the conclusion of both races on fightingillini.com, as well as a recap of the day's competition.
Illini At The Midwest Regional
Women's 6K: Nicki Cast, Rebecca Craddock, Caroline Fix, Olivia Howell, Madison Marasco, Allison McGrath, Emma Milburn, Katie Stapleton Emma Wilson
Men's 10K: Zach Dale, Logan Hall, Jack LaLonde, Irwin Loud, Michael Madiol, Bennett Melone, Jack Roberts, Colin Yandel
Coach Haveman On the Midwest Regional
"We are excited and ready for the NCAA regional meet. It presents us a great opportunity to showcase our growth and potential. We look forward to great performances."
About Oklahoma State University Cross Country Course
Oklahoma State University opens a newly renovated cross country course in 2019. The OSU Cross Country Course underwent a recent multi-million dollar renovation in preparation for the 2019 Midwest Regional and the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships. The course was lengthened to 10K and offers four other options for runners: 8K, 6K, 5K and 2K. In competition, the men will run the 10K loop, while the women will run the 6K route. The setup of the course provides unique training opportunities for the teams. The straightaway to the finish is designed with mounds on each side of the course to offer a view from above, as well as views of multiple race areas.
A Look At The Competition
Women's 6K:
The Midwest Region No. 1 Illini will face opposition from 34 teams in the 6K race at Friday's Midwest Regional. Top challengers for Illinois include regional-host Oklahoma State, who USTFCCCA ranks No. 25 nationally and No. 2 in the region, and Big Ten foe Minnesota, who ranks No. 26 Nationally and No. 3 in the Midwest. Tulsa and Missouri also received votes in the latest USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll, and rank fourth and fifth in the Midwest Region, respectively.
Men's 10K:
Illinois heads into a men's 10K regional field that includes 31 programs. Two USTFCCCA top-10 programs are set to compete in No. 5 Iowa State and No. 7 Tulsa. Host-school No. 23 Oklahoma State rounds out the nationally-ranked opponents in the field. Regionally-ranked conference programs set to challenge Illinois (No. 10) include No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Minnesota and No. 9 Iowa.
How To Qualify For NCAA Championships
Team: 31 teams compete at the NCAA Division-I Championships. 18 bids are automatic (top two teams in each of nine regions), 13 bids are at-large.
Individual: 38 additional individuals a piece on both the men's and women's side are selected to compete at the NCAA Championships. Among individuals not selected as members of qualifying teams, the top four finishers at each regional meet are automatically selected, which each having had finished within the top 25 of the region). Two more athletes will be selected from the remainder of the national pool (and must have finished in the regional top 25) as at-large runners.
Illini Notes
Illinois Women Head into Midwest Regional As Top Seed
Illinois enters the Midwest Regionals as USTFCCCA's No. 1 team in the Midwest Region. This is the first time the Illini have entered regionals ranked No. 1 since 2009. Illinois ranks No. 22 in the latest USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll, released on Nov. 5.
Last Time Out
Illinois Women Place Sixth At Big Ten Championships
Illinois women's cross country finished sixth at the Big Ten Championships on Sunday, Nov. 3 at Ohio State. Junior Rebecca Craddock led the way, placing 18th overall in the conference 6K race with a finish time of 20:50.6. The Illini finished with a team score of 144, with four of the team's top five scorers finishing in the top-30 overall.
After Craddock, junior Allison McGrath was next to cross for the Orange and Blue, timing 20:56.8 and placing 22nd overall. Also earning top-30 finishes were sophomores Madison Marasco and Emma Milburn, who finished 28th and 29th overall, respectively. Marasco clocked a finish of 21:08.8, and Milburn crossed a second after at 21:09.8. Rounding out the Illini scorers was junior Nicki Cast, who ran a 6K PR of 21:21.4 and placed 50th overall.
Loud, Dale Lead Illini At B1G Championships
Redshirt sophomore Irwin Loud and redshirt senior Zach Dale each ran to top-25 overall finishes to lead the Illini in the men's 8K at Big Ten Championships at Ohio State. Illinois finished ninth as a team at the conference meet with a team score of 219.
Irwin Loud has crossed first for the Illini in each of the team's five races this season. At Sunday's conference meet, Loud timed 24:31.4 to place 21st overall. Next to finish for Illinois was redshirt senior Zach Dale, who placed 24th overall with a finish time of 24:42.2. It is the best place-finish of Dale's career at Big Ten Championships.
Sophomore Colin Yandel crossed third for the Orange and Blue, recording a finish of 25:07.5. Redshirt junior Jack LaLonde finished soon after, clocking an 8K PR finish of 25:13.1 and placing 58th. Sophomore Logan Hall was the fifth Illini scorer, placing 70th with a time of 25:26.3.
Illini history At Midwest Regionals
Men:
Illini men's cross country last won the regional title in 1976. Three Illini individuals have won the regional meet: Craig Virgin (1974-76), Trent Hoerr (2007) and Jon Davis in 2017. Last year at the Bradley Midwest Regional, the Illini placed ninth and were led by Billy Magnesen, who earned All-Region honors by placing 22nd overall.
Women:
Illinois won their lone Midwest Regional title in 2006. The women's program has punched a ticket to nationals six times. The Illini last qualified for NCAA Championships at the regional in 2009 through a second-place performance. Last season at the NCAA Midwest Regional hosted by Bradley, Illinois finished fourth, a 20-spot jump from their 2017 finish and the team's best place-finish at the regional since 2009. Allison McGrath and Madison Marasco led the way, placing 18th and 25th overall, respectively to earn Midwest All-Region honors.
Up Next
NCAA Championships is next for teams and individuals that qualify. The NCAA Final will be held at Indiana State on Saturday, Nov. 23. The women's 6K will begin at 10:15 a.m. CT, and the men's 10K will follow at 11:15 a.m. CT.
For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Cross Country, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@IlliniTrackXC) and Instagram (illinitrackxc) and like Fighting Illini Track and Field & Cross Country on Facebook.
