CROSS COUNTRY TOWN USA SET TO
HOST 2010 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS MONDAY
KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. – The 2010 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country National Championships will be staged Monday on the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center east of Terre Haute.
Nearly 1,000 competitors will be attempting to run the race of their lives over the women's 6K course and the men's 10K courses, each with hopes of claiming an NCAA Championship. In addition, over 60 teams will be vying for the team championship in each division.
Risper Kimaiyo of Texas-El Paso won the women's Blue Race at the Pre-Nationals this year and followed that up with a dominating win in the Mountain Regional to enter the championships as the pre-race favorite. She will face competition from Michigan State's Emily MacLeod, who won the Great Lakes Regional, Sheila Reid of defending champion Villanova, who won the Mid-Atlantic Regional, Minnesota's Stephanie Price, who won the Midwest Regional by 14 seconds of Betsy Saina of Iowa State, and twins Lucy Van Dalen and Holly Van Dalen of Stony Brook, who finished first and second at the Northeast Regional.
Villanova received all 12 first place votes in the pre-championship rankings and is a solid favorite to repeat as NCAA Champions. However, second ranked Florida State, third ranked Georgetown, and fourth ranked Washington may have a say in the outcome.
Samuel Chelanga of Liberty is back in his quest for a second straight NCAA Championship after setting the course 10K record a year ago in winning the 2009 championship. Chelanga ran away from the field in winning the Pre-National Invitational White race. He will face stiff competition from Chris Derrick of Stanford who led a 1-2-3 sweep of the top spots by the Cardinals in the Pre-Nationals Blue Race.
Among the other individuals to watch in the men's race are Luke Puskedra of Oregon, Ciaran O'Lionaird of Florida State, David McNeill of Northern Arizona, and Colby Lowe and German Fernandez of Oklahoma State.
Stanford comes into the 2010 championship ranked first in the nation but just by a point over defending champion Oklahoma State. The Cowboys were second to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Midwest Regional while Stanford lost by two points to third ranked Oregon in the West Regional. Wisconsin, who won the Great Lakes Regional in dominating fashion, is ranked fourth heading into the championship.
Gates to the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center will open at 9 a.m. (ET) with the women's 6K championship race scheduled to start at 12:08 p.m. (ET) followed by the men's 10K championship race at 12:48 p.m. (ET). Ticket prices are just $5.00 for an adult and student with children two and under admitted free.
There are two public entrances to the event and both are located by taking Route 42 east just past the Terre Haute International Airport. The first entrance is located on Swalls Road with the other entrance available south off of Route 42 by travelling north on Tabertown Road. Parking officlas will be stationed at each entrance to direct traffic to respective parking areas.
Weather is expected to be warm and breezy with just a slight chance of showers.
A photo gallery from the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country Championship Banquet, held Saturday at Hulman Center, is available at www.laverngibson.com.
