Nov. 13, 2009
NCAA Midwest Regional Home Page
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou cross country program will continue its run through the postseason as it heads south to Springfield, Mo., to take part in the NCAA Midwest Regional at the Missouri State Cross Country Facility on Saturday (Nov. 14). The men's 10K race will kick off the event at noon while the women's 6K race will follow at 1:15 p.m. The Midwest Regional will include 33 cross country programs from 10 different conferences and nine different states throughout the region.
The NCAA Midwest Regional Championships serve as the qualifying stage for the NCAA National Championships as the top two teams and top four individuals not on a qualifying team automatically advance to the national championships. Additional teams and individuals are chosen through an at-large process that follows the regional competition.
The Tigers are coming off of a Big 12 Championship that saw the men earn eighth overall and women take ninth. The eighth-place finish for the men was their first time in the last six seasons that they did not finish in the top half of the Big 12 Conference at the meet. Dan Quigley (St. Louis, Mo.) paced the men by finishing 29th overall at the meet, turning in a 10K time of 25:51.87. Quigley, along with classmate Phillip King (Columbia, Mo.) and a slew of underclassmen look to guide the Tiger men at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
The ninth-place nod for the women at the Big 12 Championships was a vast improvement over their last-place nod back in 2008, due in large part to the contributions of two freshmen. Kaitie Vanatta (Littleton, Colo.) became Mizzou's first All-Big 12 honoree on either side since Tim Ross did so back in 2006 after she turned in an 11th-place finish with a 6K time of 21:48.31. Vanatta is the first Tiger freshman to take home All-Big 12 honors since Valerie Lauver did so back in 2002.
Vanatta and classmate Bailey Belvis (Prosper, Texas) have been the Tigers' frontrunners all season long, ensuring a bright future for the women's team. But, aside from the youth, senior Ellen Ries (Ryan, Iowa) has also been a staple in the Tigers' top three finishers this season as she provides a wealth of experience to this season's roster.
Last season, the Tiger men placed fifth at the Midwest Regional - held in Stillwater, Okla. - while the women earned 10th overall. Former Tiger Garett Jeffires led the Tiger men while Kinsey Farren (Dallas, Texas) - who will be running this weekend - pace the Tiger women at the event.
For a complete recap of Saturday's race, please stay tuned to MUTigers.com.