CRAIG PADGETT

GoSycamores.com

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State freshman John Mascari returns to the course where he set the Sycamore cross country 8,000 meter record as he competes in the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.

The meet will return to LaVern Gibson after a year absence, which saw the meet in Louisville, Kentucky.

Mascari punched his second trip to the NCAA Championships after winning the Great Lakes Regional meet last Friday. Mascari's time of 30:05 was a new school record for 10,000 meters, breaking his own record of 30:25 from the 2012 NCAA Championship meet.

“John has put himself in the position to be in the top part of the competition,” said Head Coach John McNichols. “Where exactly he'll finish I'm not sure and not sure how the course is going to run. It's obviously going to be very sloppy and challenging course conditions. How he responds to that I'm not sure, but I do know he is very fit and ready. I'm confident in his preparation.”

He joins former Sycamores Charles Warthan (1970 and 1971) and Jason Gunn (1999 and 2000), as the only runners to qualify for two trips to the national championships.

Mascari set the school record in the 8,000 meters at the Pre-National Invitational held on Oct. 19 as he finished 11th with a personal best time of 23:41.8. The sophomore followed that up with his second straight MVC championship in a time of 23:56.

Charles Warthan has the best finish at the NCAA Championships by a Sycamore as he placed 41st at the 1970 Championship held at William & Mary College

The race begins Saturday at noon (ET), with the women's race following at 1:15 p.m. (ET).