Greaham Niemer

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The men’s cross country team at Northern Kentucky University is expecting its tough schedule to pay off this season by the time the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional meet rolls around Nov. 5.

“Our schedule is the toughest that Northern has ever attempted, but the reason being is so that when we get to the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the NCAA Regional, we have virtually no fear of any team that we toe the line against,” NKU head coach Steve Kruse said. “If we can run our races and compete the way we know we are capable, the sky may be the limit for this team.”

The first challenge for the Norse is the Dayton Flyer Invitational on Sept. 3 in Dayton, Ohio, which is traditionally a Division I meet. Last season, NKU was the only Division II team that competed in that event.

“Our season opener will be among the toughest meets we run in all year,” Kruse said. “All the teams there offer very strong cross country programs. It will be a great way to see how we have prepared this summer.”

NKU will follow with the Norse Invitational on Sept. 9 at A.J. Jolly in Alexandria, Ky. Last season, the team finished second behind Lewis and had three runners place in the top 20.

The GLVC Championships will be Oct. 8 in Rensselaer, Ind. The Norse finished in fifth place last season at the GLVC Championships.

Kruse will be looking to his two senior captains, Greaham Niemer and Denny Kramer, to lead the team this season. Last season, Niemer posted an 18th-place finish at the conference meet, while Kramer finished 35th.

“(Niemer and Kramer) are very hard working and very eager to make this year the best one ever for themselves and their teammates,” Kruse said. “Our younger runners will need to step up in the years to come to continue the leadership trend which these two have set.”

Keith Knapp, a sophomore from Florence, Ky., is also back for the Norse. Last season, Knapp was named the GLVC Freshman of the Year after finishing 11th in the conference meet. Knapp also helped the Norse capture the team title at the Greensboro Invitational with a first-place finish last year.

The Norse also welcome back talented sophomores Brad Bullock and Adam Stoppelwerth. Kruse also added freshmen Zach Koehler, Matthew Shoulta and Keenan Kruskamp to the team and is expecting them to be competitive along with the returning runners.

“The team has a good mix of senior leadership, long on dedication and sacrifice, coupled with some very young talent in the sophomore and freshman classes,” Kruse said. “Last year’s fifth-place GLVC finish will be improved upon, even with the addition of (GLVC newcomers Rockhurst, Drury and Misssouri-Rolla).”

WOMEN’S PREVIEW

If the NKU women’s cross country team hopes to improve upon its fifth-place finish at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships, the Norse will have to overcome the injuries currently bothering the team.

“Right now, we are in no condition to think of anything beyond our first two meets because of so many injuries,” Kruse said. “There has been talk of getting some runners out to the national meet in November, which is not out of the question. But drastic healing and strong faith will be needed.”

The Norse’s top returning runner, Tracy Carskadon, is one of the runners battling an injury to start the season.

“(Carskadon) is off to a rocky start and may miss a few early meets due to a nagging knee injury,” Kruse said, “but she is a very determined athlete. It would be ill advised for the competition to count her out.”

Tracy Carskadon

Carskadon earned All-Conference and All-Region honors last season. She was the top runner in at every meet last year for the Norse, and she led the team with two individual race victories. Carskadon finished 11th at the NCAA regional meet and just missed qualifying for the NCAA Division II nationals.

Carskadon set a Norse record in the six-kilometer run with a time of 22:45 at the GLVC Championships, and two weeks later she broke the record again at the NCAA regionals (22:44).

Joining Carskadon in the captain position is senior Lisa Sand. Sand finished 46th last season at the conference championships.

“(Sand) has worked extraordinarily hard over the last 10 months to regain some of the confidence she used to run with,” Kruse said. “Lisa and Tracy have very different leadership styles, and they’ll be joining forces to lead this young team to a successful season.”

Also returning for NKU is Julianne Hoekzema, a sophomore from Fairfield, Ohio. Hoekzema’s second-place finish at the Greensboro Invitational helped the Norse capture the team title last season. She also finished 24th at the GLVC Championships.

“(Hoekzema) will no doubt be among our top runners, if not the top runner, at most of our races this year,” Kruse said. “She had some bad luck with late-season injuries in 2004 and struggled to regain her health during track. She is definitely ready now.”

The Norse welcome several newcomers Kruse is expecting to contribute throughout the season. One newcomer Kruse anticipates to step up this season is Rose Jepkirui, a talented runner from Kenya.

“Rose is yet unproven since she is also fighting back from some injuries. She has her plate full right now just trying to adjust to the day-to-day changes from her home country,” Kruse said. “She has the opportunity to take the competition by storm if all goes well.”

The Norse will be looking for freshmen Lindsey Bendure and Terri Arlinghaus to offer strong competition this fall.

NKU opens its season Sept. 3 at the Dayton Invitational in Dayton, Ohio, followed by the Norse Invitational the following week on Sept. 9 at 4:30 p.m.

The GLVC Championships will take place in Rensselaer, Ind. on Oct. 22. with the NCAA regional meet two weeks later on Nov. 5.

“Dayton will be tough, but hands down, the toughest competition we will face will be at the NCAA regionals,” Kruse said. “At that time, the Great Lakes Region will no doubt have up to six teams in the top 25 nationally. It will be a real battle and one that the entire team is looking forward to.”