The men’s race will start at 11:00 a.m. with the women going off at 12:30 p.m.
Always the toughest region in Division II, the Central currently features the nation’s top three men’s teams (Adams State, Western State and Colorado School of Mines) while the Adams women have won the past seven national titles but are currently ranked third nationally, one spot behind rival Western.
The top five men’s teams, and the top four women’s teams, advance to the Division II National Championships, held this year Dec. 4 in conjunction with the Winter Sports Festival in Louisville, Ky.
Currently, the Loper men are ranked seventh in the region and have also been ranked nationally this season. UNK will likely fight Augustana, Metro State, New Mexico Highlands and Minnesota-Duluth for the last two spots to nationals. The last time a Kearney men’s team made it to the NCAA’s was in 1999. Overall, the program has qualified six times, including a national runner up finish in 1991.
The top two individuals, not from one of the qualifying teams, also go to Louisville. Last year, senior Tanner Fruit (Ogallala) was one of the Central individuals to make it to the NCAA’s, finishing 68th. Junior Al Sanabria (Minden) also has NCAA dreams as he earned 3rd-team All-RMAC honors two weeks ago.
Last year on the same course, the Loper men scored 254 points to finish 8th out of 18 schools, its second straight top 10 regional finish.
On the women’s side, a young and improving UNK squad recently cracked the region’s rankings (10th) after a 7th place showing at RMAC’s. Besides Adams and Western, four others are ranked nationally in Augustana (10th), Mary, N.D. (11th), Minnesota-Duluth (13th) and Regis (22nd).
Scoring 432 points, UNK finished 18th out of 22 schools last season. The team has ten top 10 finishes in its history, the last coming three years ago (6th).
Junior Amy Long (Minatare) is a two-time All-RMAC runner who placed 35th in the region last fall. Also looking to crack the top 40 is sophomore Brooke Harris (Dickens), the Lopers top finisher in most meets this season.
For meet results the day of the meet, visit www.wscwildcats.com.
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