GPAC Championships set for Saturday in Lincoln

The 2011 GPAC Cross Country Championships are scheduled for this Saturday (Nov. 5) at Pioneers Park in Lincoln.  Nebraska Wesleyan University is this year’s host school.  The meet will begin at 10 am with the JV race.  The women’s 5k race is set for 10:45 with the men’s 8k race to follow at 11:30. 

Both races should be highly competitive this year with several teams poised to make a run at the titles.  Nebraska Wesleyan has won six straight team titles.  The Prairie Wolves are ranked 24th in NCAA III.  Morningside and Concordia look to be the favorites to push Nebraska Wesleyan this year.  Morningside is 11th in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, and Concordia is 15th in the NAIA heading into the weekend.  The Bulldogs finished just five points behind Morningside at the Mount Marty Invite two weeks ago.  Concordia is finally healthy, and the duo of Sarah Kortze (Rockford, Ill.) and Jena Schwalenberg (Columbus, Neb.) will look to lead the way for the Bulldogs this weekend. 

The Nebraska Wesleyan men have won five of the last six GPAC titles, but like the women’s race, multiple teams will look to earn the championship in 2011.  Wesleyan is 21st in NCAA III heading into this weekend’s race, but both Concordia and Morningside should contend this weekend.  Despite running without top runner Colin Morrissey (Omaha, Neb.), Concordia picked up a big win at the Mount Marty Invite two weeks ago.  The Bulldogs were paced by freshman Ben Sievert (Frankenmuth, Mich.), who won the event and picked up GPAC Runner-of-the-Week honors for his efforts.  Concordia is 19th in the latest NAIA Top 25, while Morningside moved up to 25th in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll.