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By Chad Hensley, NKU Sports Information HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men’s cross country team has yet run a race this season, but the Norse are already getting notice nationally. In the first U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II poll of the season, coach Steve Kruse’s Norse are ranked 19th in the nation, “It is an honor to be recognized by the coaches Association as one of the top teams in the country and we are one of five teams in our region who are listed in the top 20,” Kruse said. “That shows you how tough our region is and what a fight it will be to get to the national meet. “It’s a great feeling to be ranked but it also gives the competition extra incentive to scout us and be ready for us on race day.” To prepare the Norse for the postseason, Kruse has his team facing more Division I opponents than anything else. The task of making a return trip to nationals won’t be easy, but Kruse has his team pointed in the right direction. Led by Keith Knapp, Zach Koehler, Brad Bullock, and Matt Shoulta, NKU looks to build upon last season’s success. Kruse knows that scheduling the races that he did will only make his team better, “We must be ready for anything the competition dishes out, every time, all season long. This season presents the toughest schedule we have ever faced and the hope is that we emerge from the regular season ready for those others ranked in our conference and region. Only the best at the end of the season go to Nationals” Being ranked this early in the season is something new to the men’s program. “To my knowledge, there has never been a Norse cross country team ranked going into the season,” Kruse said. “We were ranked toward the end of the season in 1979, coincidently the year we finished 19th at the national meet.” Kruse also knows that although rankings this early in the season are great to get your team some exposure, but they are also something of a burden, “The biggest challenge is to not let it go to our heads and to realize that a ranking is simply a recognition of our talent and in no way means that those ranked above or below us are untouchable or not capable of taking us on any given day,” he said. “We must be ready to run our best every time we toe the line whether they are a ranked Division 1 team or an unranked, never before heard of team.” Abilene Christian, the defending D-II champion, starts off the season as the No. 1 team in the nation followed closely by national runner-up Adams State. Regional rivals Grand Valley State, Wayne State (Mich.), Saginaw Valley State, and Southern Indiana are also among those that are ranked. NKU will begin the season this Saturday when it travels to take part in the Dayton Flyer 5K. USTFCCCA Division
II men's cross country rankings |
