WAYNE – After hosting the Wildcat Classic earlier this year, the Wayne State College women’s and men’s cross country team will be welcoming in their conference opponents this weekend.
WSC has been off the past two weekends preparing for the NSIC Cross Country Championships being held at the Wayne Country Club on Saturday, October 26. The women’s race is scheduled 11 a.m. with the men to follow around 12:15 p.m.
All 16 conference teams will be represented in the women’s race on the 6,000-meter course. University of Mary is the three-time defending champions.
The men’s 8,000-meter race will feature 14 teams competing with the University of Sioux Falls being the defending NSIC champions while Augustana had won the previous nine championships.
According to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA), four NSIC teams were ranked in the week five National Coaches’ Poll. In the NCAA DII women’s division Augustana University started the preseason 10th and is up to fifth while University of Mary has remained ninth the past three weeks. On the men’s side, Augie fell a spot to seventh as Sioux Falls moved up five spots to 15th this week.
The Augie and University of Mary women have been 1-2 the past three weeks in the Central Region rankings while the Augie men sit second and USF fourth in the Central Region rankings.
The last time WSC hosted the NSIC Cross Country Championships was the same year they hosted the Central Region in 2014. This year’s regional race will be held in Joplin, Missouri on Saturday, November 9 at 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.