CROSS COUNTRY

For the second straight year, both the men’s and women’s HU cross country teams will compete in the NAIA Cross Country Championships. The Foresters will run on April 9 at Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

“I’m excited for both our men’s and women’s program to return to the national stage for the second year in a row,” said Coach Lauren Johnson. “And I am thankful for the NAIA finding a way for our athletes to still compete.”

The Huntington men hold the top spot nationally having picked off Taylor, ranked #1 at the time, in the Crossroads League Championships last fall.

“For the first time in program history, we are entering the National Championship meet as the number one ranked team in the country,” said Johnson. “We will have a target on our backs, but the men are ready and have worked together toward this goal for a year and a half now. It’s no secret that they fully intend to win the program’s first national team title.”

HU received one of the 25 automatic bids as the CL champions. The men’s race will also feature ten at-large berths, the host school Mount Mercy and 96 athletes competing as individuals. It’s the Foresters’ seventh trip to NAIA Nationals with the first appearance dating back to 1998. Huntington finished 6th in 1999 which marks the highest finish in program history.

The Crossroads League will be well represented in Iowa with Taylor, Indiana Wesleyan, Spring Arbor and Goshen each receiving an at-large berth as determined by a selection committee.

On the women’s side, the Foresters, ranked 7th in the final poll, received one of the eight at-large berths. The rest of the field is made up of 27 automatic qualifiers, one host berth and 98 individual qualifiers.

This trip is HU’s eighth to the big stage with their first dating back to 1991. Last year’s 10th place finish marks the program’s highest finish. Huntington is one of four Crossroads League teams that will be competing at nationals this year. Taylor received the league’s automatic bid while Indiana Wesleyan and Saint Francis, like Huntington, received at-large berths.

“The women return to nationals following a very strong showing last year,” noted the newly-appointed skipper. “If we run smart and to our potential, we have the opportunity to be a top ten team again, and hopefully even rise above that to once again have the best team finish in program history.

“Something we will be watching is the men’s and women’s combined team scores. We have the opportunity to finish very well in this category and that would be another first for the programs.”

Both races will be broadcast for the first time this year on the NAIA Network. To access the live video stream and purchase a pass, visit https://portal.stretchinternet.com/naia/.