UWM Cross Country Gear Up For Great Lakes RegionalNov. 8, 2004
Coming off a pair of third-place finishes at the Horizon League Championships, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's and women's cross country teams have set their sights on qualifying for the NCAA Championships with a strong showing at the Great Leakes Regional Saturday (Nov. 13) in Ypsilanti, Mich. NCAA Regional Preview The top two teams at each of the 11 regions earn automatic berths in addition to nine at-large selections. Individually, a runner can qualify by finishing among the top five athletes not on a team that is already qualified for the national meet. The Great Lakes is arguably the top region in the country, as four teams earned one of the nine-at-large bids on both the men's and women's side. This year, the women's region will feature seven of the WICCCA's top 30 teams nationally, while five men's teams are ranked in the USCCCA's top-30. Milwaukee is sending its top seven men and women finishers from last month's league title. Last Time Out: Horizon League Championships Men: Junior Josh Nygren finished seventh and junior Nate Weiland took eighth to lead UWM to a third-place finish at the Horizon League Championships. The host Panthers scored 78 points, finishing just 12 points back of second-place Loyola. Butler scored a perfect 15 points by sweeping the top six places. Honored Several Panthers were honored following the Horizon league Championships two weeks ago, including three men. Josh Nygren earned first-team all-league status with his seventh-place finish, while Nate Weiland was eighth and named to the second-team. In finishing 21st, freshman Joe Wawrzyniak was named the league newcomer of the year as the top-finishing freshman. For the women, Anna Christian earned her second-straight first-team all-league honor, improving by one place over last year's sixth-place showing. Last Year's NCAA Regionals Both UWM squads finished in the middle of the pack at last year's regional, as the men took 16th (out of 32 teams) and the women placed 17th (out of 30). Josh Nygren and Anna Christian each followed up all-league performances at the league championships, by being the top Panther finishers. Nygren was 66th while Christian finished 72nd. Up Next Any Panthers that qualify for the NCAA Championships, either as a team or individually, return to action on Nov. 22 in Terre Haute. For all others, this marks the end of the season.
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