Tickets// THE STARTING LINE
The University of Cincinnati cross country teams will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., this Friday to compete in the 2017 NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships hosted by Indiana State at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course. The meet, used as a selection tool for the national meet, will see the women run a 6,000m race starting at 11:15 a.m. before the men take on the 10,000m course with a 12:15 p.m. start.
// FOLLOW US
For up to the minute updates, follow UC Track & Field/Cross Country (@GoBearcatsTFXC) on Twitter, Facebook (GoBearcatsTFXC) and Instagram (GoBearcatsTFXC) and join in the conversation by using the hashtag #Bearcats. For the championship meet, follow the NCAA's XC account (@NCAATrackField) and use the hashtag #NCAAXC.
// OPENING LAP
• Madison Dunlap finished 15th at the AAC Championships in Philadelphia (Oct. 28) to earn her first all-conference selection and just the second for UC's women in the AAC era
• Both teams finished ninth overall at the AAC Championships
• Four members of the UC TF/XC program were honored as inductees into the UC Legion of Excellence in a ceremony held Wednesday, November 8
• National Signing Day opened Wednesday, November 8, with six National Letters of Intent having been signed and delivered to the program, including three distance runners (so far)
// AROUND THE PROGRAM - EXCELLENCE
On Wednesday (November 8), UC hosted its annual Legion of Excellence Gala with four members of the Bearcats track & field/cross country program being honored. The four inductees into the Legion of Excellence included cross country runners Grace O'Donnell and Spencer Clark and track & field student-athletes Juliana Puopolo and Sergio Acera. Each was selected by carrying the top cumulative GPA on their respective team last year.
// AROUND THE PROGRAM - ADDING
Wednesday also marked the first day of the November signing period with six individuals having signed already, including three women that are set to join the cross country program. Coach Lara Crofford added local product Leah Maschino (Kings HS) as well as Carmen Licht (Macedonia, Ohio) and Rylee Penn (Corona, Calif.). Check back to GoBearcats.com next week to read more about the three ladies and the rest of the signing class once it is announced.
// THE MEET
Friday's meet will be one of nine regional competitions conducted around the nation this week as teams battle it out for berths into the NCAA Cross Country Championships that will take place November 18 in Louisville, Ky. The women will run 6,000m starting at 11:15 a.m. before the men race 10,000m starting at 12:15 p.m. Each school can field a team of up to seven runners with five finishers being needed to score in the team standings.
// LIVE STREAMING & RESULTS
FloTrack.com will broadcast the meet live. The broadcast will require a subscription to the site. Live results can be found on Indiana State's web site: XCTownUSA.com.
// THE STAKES
The regional races will determine which teams advance to the national meet. The NCAA Championships field will consist of 31 teams, 18 of which will be automatic qualifiers as the Top 2 teams in each of the nine regions advance. The NCAA selection committee will add 13 at-large teams following the conclusion of regional weekend. Individuals can also qualify to the NCAA Championships. Once the 31 teams are determined, the Top 4 finishers in each regional race, provided they finish in the Top 25 of the race, will earn berths into the national meet as well.
// IN THE MEET
The NCAA Great Lakes Region features teams from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Last year, 32 women's teams and 30 men's teams scored at the meet in Madison, Wis., with several other schools also represented by individual runners. All told, there were 221 finishers in the women's 6,000m run and 205 finishers in the men's 10,000m run.
// LOOKING BACK: 2016 REGIONAL - WOMEN
UC finished 21st last year with 570 points as Juliana Madzia led the way with her 66th-place finish, running 21:33.3 over 6,000m. The finish for the team was the 15th-best in program history and marked the 16th-fewest points scored. Meg Westerheide, Emma Hensley, Alexis Anton and Grace O'Donnell rounded out the Top 5.
// LOOKING BACK: 2016 REGIONAL - MEN
The men tallied 481 points to finish 17th in the region to return to the Top 20 after a one-year hiatus. Dan Huben ran a PR 31:56.5 to finish 58th while Seamus Collins added another Top 100 finish by placing 76th. Both the team finish and point total rank as the 23rd-best in program history. Toby Loveridge, Michael Vitucci and Nick Grismer rounded out the team's Top 5.
// REGIONAL HISTORY - WOMEN
• The women have improved their regional finish each of the last four years, going 29th, 28th, 24th and then 21st last year
• Five individuals have placed in the Top 25 at the regional meet in program history with Lilian Jelimo (2008) being the most recent addition
// REGIONAL HISTORY - MEN
• The men placed 17th last year to improve from 21st the year prior, placing in the Top 20 for the 17th time in the last 18 years
• UC has had six individuals place in the Top 25 at the regional meet, including Kevin Fink in 2014, the most recent addition to the list
• Eric Finan won the 2010 regional race, marking the only time UC has had a champion in the event
// RECAP: 2017 AAC CHAMPIONSHIPS - WOMEN
• UC placed 9th overall in the 12-team field, scoring 209 points and finishing one point from tying Memphis for eighth
• UConn won the title, followed by SMU & Temple
• Madison Dunlap ran a PR time of 22:05.5 on a very hilly course to finish 15th overall and earn her first All-Conference honor
• True freshman Sam Mikula was second on the team in 37th
// RECAP: 2017 AAC CHAMPIONSHIPS - MEN
• The men finished ninth overall as well, scoring 218 points in the 8,000m event
• Tulsa won the title, followed by UConn & Temple
• True freshman Ryan Guenthner was the top finisher for the men, placing 40th overall, while Nick Grismer was 50th
// LEADING THE WAY
Madison Dunlap was the top finisher for the women at the AAC Championships, marking the third time she has done so this year, the most of any Bearcats runner, man or woman. When looking at both teams, true freshmen have joined in the leadership role as women's runner Sam Mikula and men's rookies Matt Stump and Ryan Guenthner each leading one race this year. Guenthner was the latest to be added to the list after his top finish for UC at the conference meet.
PREVIOUSLY NOTED
// MADZIA TOP 30
On Wednesday (September 6), the NCAA released the names on its Woman of the Year Top 30 list and former Bearcats standout Juliana Madzia was listed. Madzia was one of 543 women across all three NCAA divisions that was nominated this year (229 from Division I) for the prestigious award that has been given annually since 1991. The award is built upon recognizing female student-athletes that demonstrate its four core tenants: athletics, academics, service and leadership. Madzia was not selected as one of the three finalist from each of the three divisions.
// HELLO! MY NAME IS...
The Bearcats will have seven new runners on the roster this year, including four men and three women. For the ladies, the newcomers include Sydney Hess (Curtice, Ohio), Sam Mikula (Columbus) and Katrina Patterson (Clarence, N.Y.). On the men's side, the newcomers include true freshmen Ryan Guenthner (Louisville) and Matt Stump (Medina, Ohio), junior Steven Zombory (Chardon) and senior Branden Nosker (Troy, Ohio). Zombory was a member of the UC Running Club the past two years while Nosker raced for Mississippi State.
// UP NEXT
Should the teams not qualify for the NCAA Championships, this week's race in Terre Haute will close out the 2017 cross country season for the Bearcats and move them closer to the start of the 2018 indoor track and field campaign. While the indoor season gets underway Friday, December 8, at the Hoosier Open in Bloomington, Ind., the distance runners will not compete on the track until January 12-13 at the UK Invitational in Lexington, Ky.
The University of Cincinnati cross country teams will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., this Friday to compete in the 2017 NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships hosted by Indiana State at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course. The meet, used as a selection tool for the national meet, will see the women run a 6,000m race starting at 11:15 a.m. before the men take on the 10,000m course with a 12:15 p.m. start.
// FOLLOW US
For up to the minute updates, follow UC Track & Field/Cross Country (@GoBearcatsTFXC) on Twitter, Facebook (GoBearcatsTFXC) and Instagram (GoBearcatsTFXC) and join in the conversation by using the hashtag #Bearcats. For the championship meet, follow the NCAA's XC account (@NCAATrackField) and use the hashtag #NCAAXC.
// OPENING LAP
• Madison Dunlap finished 15th at the AAC Championships in Philadelphia (Oct. 28) to earn her first all-conference selection and just the second for UC's women in the AAC era
• Both teams finished ninth overall at the AAC Championships
• Four members of the UC TF/XC program were honored as inductees into the UC Legion of Excellence in a ceremony held Wednesday, November 8
• National Signing Day opened Wednesday, November 8, with six National Letters of Intent having been signed and delivered to the program, including three distance runners (so far)
// AROUND THE PROGRAM - EXCELLENCE
On Wednesday (November 8), UC hosted its annual Legion of Excellence Gala with four members of the Bearcats track & field/cross country program being honored. The four inductees into the Legion of Excellence included cross country runners Grace O'Donnell and Spencer Clark and track & field student-athletes Juliana Puopolo and Sergio Acera. Each was selected by carrying the top cumulative GPA on their respective team last year.
// AROUND THE PROGRAM - ADDING
Wednesday also marked the first day of the November signing period with six individuals having signed already, including three women that are set to join the cross country program. Coach Lara Crofford added local product Leah Maschino (Kings HS) as well as Carmen Licht (Macedonia, Ohio) and Rylee Penn (Corona, Calif.). Check back to GoBearcats.com next week to read more about the three ladies and the rest of the signing class once it is announced.
// THE MEET
Friday's meet will be one of nine regional competitions conducted around the nation this week as teams battle it out for berths into the NCAA Cross Country Championships that will take place November 18 in Louisville, Ky. The women will run 6,000m starting at 11:15 a.m. before the men race 10,000m starting at 12:15 p.m. Each school can field a team of up to seven runners with five finishers being needed to score in the team standings.
// LIVE STREAMING & RESULTS
FloTrack.com will broadcast the meet live. The broadcast will require a subscription to the site. Live results can be found on Indiana State's web site: XCTownUSA.com.
// THE STAKES
The regional races will determine which teams advance to the national meet. The NCAA Championships field will consist of 31 teams, 18 of which will be automatic qualifiers as the Top 2 teams in each of the nine regions advance. The NCAA selection committee will add 13 at-large teams following the conclusion of regional weekend. Individuals can also qualify to the NCAA Championships. Once the 31 teams are determined, the Top 4 finishers in each regional race, provided they finish in the Top 25 of the race, will earn berths into the national meet as well.
// IN THE MEET
The NCAA Great Lakes Region features teams from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Last year, 32 women's teams and 30 men's teams scored at the meet in Madison, Wis., with several other schools also represented by individual runners. All told, there were 221 finishers in the women's 6,000m run and 205 finishers in the men's 10,000m run.
// LOOKING BACK: 2016 REGIONAL - WOMEN
UC finished 21st last year with 570 points as Juliana Madzia led the way with her 66th-place finish, running 21:33.3 over 6,000m. The finish for the team was the 15th-best in program history and marked the 16th-fewest points scored. Meg Westerheide, Emma Hensley, Alexis Anton and Grace O'Donnell rounded out the Top 5.
// LOOKING BACK: 2016 REGIONAL - MEN
The men tallied 481 points to finish 17th in the region to return to the Top 20 after a one-year hiatus. Dan Huben ran a PR 31:56.5 to finish 58th while Seamus Collins added another Top 100 finish by placing 76th. Both the team finish and point total rank as the 23rd-best in program history. Toby Loveridge, Michael Vitucci and Nick Grismer rounded out the team's Top 5.
// REGIONAL HISTORY - WOMEN
• The women have improved their regional finish each of the last four years, going 29th, 28th, 24th and then 21st last year
• Five individuals have placed in the Top 25 at the regional meet in program history with Lilian Jelimo (2008) being the most recent addition
// REGIONAL HISTORY - MEN
• The men placed 17th last year to improve from 21st the year prior, placing in the Top 20 for the 17th time in the last 18 years
• UC has had six individuals place in the Top 25 at the regional meet, including Kevin Fink in 2014, the most recent addition to the list
• Eric Finan won the 2010 regional race, marking the only time UC has had a champion in the event
// RECAP: 2017 AAC CHAMPIONSHIPS - WOMEN
• UC placed 9th overall in the 12-team field, scoring 209 points and finishing one point from tying Memphis for eighth
• UConn won the title, followed by SMU & Temple
• Madison Dunlap ran a PR time of 22:05.5 on a very hilly course to finish 15th overall and earn her first All-Conference honor
• True freshman Sam Mikula was second on the team in 37th
// RECAP: 2017 AAC CHAMPIONSHIPS - MEN
• The men finished ninth overall as well, scoring 218 points in the 8,000m event
• Tulsa won the title, followed by UConn & Temple
• True freshman Ryan Guenthner was the top finisher for the men, placing 40th overall, while Nick Grismer was 50th
// LEADING THE WAY
Madison Dunlap was the top finisher for the women at the AAC Championships, marking the third time she has done so this year, the most of any Bearcats runner, man or woman. When looking at both teams, true freshmen have joined in the leadership role as women's runner Sam Mikula and men's rookies Matt Stump and Ryan Guenthner each leading one race this year. Guenthner was the latest to be added to the list after his top finish for UC at the conference meet.
PREVIOUSLY NOTED
// MADZIA TOP 30
On Wednesday (September 6), the NCAA released the names on its Woman of the Year Top 30 list and former Bearcats standout Juliana Madzia was listed. Madzia was one of 543 women across all three NCAA divisions that was nominated this year (229 from Division I) for the prestigious award that has been given annually since 1991. The award is built upon recognizing female student-athletes that demonstrate its four core tenants: athletics, academics, service and leadership. Madzia was not selected as one of the three finalist from each of the three divisions.
// HELLO! MY NAME IS...
The Bearcats will have seven new runners on the roster this year, including four men and three women. For the ladies, the newcomers include Sydney Hess (Curtice, Ohio), Sam Mikula (Columbus) and Katrina Patterson (Clarence, N.Y.). On the men's side, the newcomers include true freshmen Ryan Guenthner (Louisville) and Matt Stump (Medina, Ohio), junior Steven Zombory (Chardon) and senior Branden Nosker (Troy, Ohio). Zombory was a member of the UC Running Club the past two years while Nosker raced for Mississippi State.
// UP NEXT
Should the teams not qualify for the NCAA Championships, this week's race in Terre Haute will close out the 2017 cross country season for the Bearcats and move them closer to the start of the 2018 indoor track and field campaign. While the indoor season gets underway Friday, December 8, at the Hoosier Open in Bloomington, Ind., the distance runners will not compete on the track until January 12-13 at the UK Invitational in Lexington, Ky.