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Home > Cross Country > News > GPAC Preview |
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October 26, 2006 Dana College to Host GPAC Cross Country Championships Dana College will host the Great Plains Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships Saturday in Blair, Nebraska. The women’s race will begin at 10:30 a.m. followed by the men at 11:15 a.m. Nebraska Wesleyan University and Concordia University tied for the women’s championship last fall with 31 points. Wesleyan junior Brittany Hubbard returns to defend her individual title. Doane College’s women were ranked 17th and Concordia 25th in last week’s NAIA national rating. Wesleyan is ranked 27th in NCAA Division III. On the men’s side, Nebraska Wesleyan will be defending last fall’s team title, a victory that gave them five out of the last six conference titles. Concordia sophomore Luka Thor, a 2005 NAIA Cross Country All-American, will be a favorite in the men’s race. Concordia’s men were ranked 14th and Doane College 17th in last week’s ratings. Wesleyan’s men are ranked 14th in NCAA Division III. Dana’s cross country course is rated a 4.0 by the NAIA (5.0 being most difficult), making it one of the toughest courses in the region. Dana hosted the conference meet in 1996, back when the conference was called NIAC (Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference). “I never felt comfortable on that course,” said Derek Fey, a 2003 Dana graduate and current head cross country coach at Dana College. “The terrain is uneven, the down-hills are steep, and the hills seem to go on forever.” John Kaup will also be among the favorites on the men’s side. The Dana senior was the second GPAC finisher at the Mount Marty Invitational two weeks ago, finishing sixth overall in 25:50. But that’s not the only reason he is expected to be in contention. “John has had a very solid year so far, but he also has run our course eight times in the past four years,” Fey said. “With the exception of a few conference schools, nobody has even seen this course since 1996. There is a distinct advantage having run this course before. You know the turns, hills, terrain, and how to attack it all.” The GPAC will award top 15 individuals and the championship team in each race.
For more information, contact:
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