Nationals Preview

Three years ago, Illinois Central College was selected to host the 2009 NJCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships. In a short 6 days, that anticipated day will arrive when over 500 athletes toe the line at Newman Golf Course in Peoria. Race times are 10:00 for the women's 5k and 11:00 for the men's 8k.
Last year, the ICC women's team finished 11th and the men 20th in South Carolina. Going into this year's race, the men are ranked 17th and the women 8th.
For the men to achieve their goal of a top 10 finish, they will need strong up front running from JQ Smith and Shane Leiby, along with solid performances from Josh Battles, Nick Leiby, Cory Shoopman, Robert Deatherage, and Kyle Lueken. Shane and JQ have legitimate chances at coaches association All-American recognition, which goes to the top 25 American finishers.
Depth has been a strong asset of the women's team all season, with Brittany Carius, Michelle Carter, Kayla Christ, and Raven Pettry all hovering around the 20:00 mark for 5k. Last year, both Brittany and Alyssa Imig received All-American recognition, with Britt becoming the first ICC runner to receive NJCAA All American status by virtue of her 11th place finish. Olivia Coker and Bonni Martin are also running well, and few teams in the country can boast a top 7 as strong as ICC's. With season best performances from all 7, a top 5, or even top 3 team finish is not out of the question.
Both races should be exciting to watch on the spectator-friendly course. Don't miss it!