In his third season as the head cross country coach, Chas Davis put together a schedule to challenge his runners and prepare them for the MVC Championship and NCAA Regionals to end the season. Along with Coach Davis, White & Blue Review takes a look at the meets on this year’s schedule which starts this Saturday in Omaha.
Creighton/UNO Invitational – September 3rd – Omaha, NE
In familiar fashion, the cross country team begins the year in Omaha. Starting bright and early on Labor Day weekend, it’s a great opportunity for fans to come out and check out the team. A fan-friendly venue offers plenty of opportunities to cheer on the runners.
Creighton/UNO Invitational 2010:
Men’s Team: 4th of 4
Top Male Finisher: Chris Culhane, 27:15, 6th of 40
Women’s Team: 3rd of 6
Top Female Finisher: Hannah Krumreich, 19:48, 7th of 62
Huskie Open – September 10th – DeKalb, IL (women only)
The men’s team will have the weekend off from competition and the women will travel to Illinois.
Chas Davis: “We are taking a young women’s squad to the Northern Illinois Open a week after their opener for more experience on the Regional Championship course.”
Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational – September 17th – Lincoln, NE
For any Creighton fans traveling to Lincoln for the Nebraska vs. Washington football game, head to Pioneer Park and cheer on the cross country team. Remember to arrive early, as it’s a big meet with lots of runners and lots of fans.
Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational 2010:
Men’s Team: 4th of 4
Top Male Finisher: Chris Culhane, 26:09, 27th of 295
Women’s Team: 4th of 4
Top Female Finisher (6K): Slaine Kelly, 22:58, 16th of 211
Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic – October 1st – Louisville, KY
Last year Davis scheduled a meet in Salem, Oregon to compete against teams out West. This year the teams will be heading to Kentucky to take on teams from another part of the U.S., and competition the Jays do not normally face.
Davis: “For obvious reasons, we’re expecting to see a lot of teams from the southeast. We chose this for the caliber of meet the Greater Louisville Sports Commission puts on, the quality competition across a broad spectrum we expect to see, including two to three MVC teams, & to get on a fast, quality course that will host the NCAA Championships in 2012. There are usually around 100 schools present spread over three separate races per gender. Needless to say, it is supposed to be excellent atmosphere for a big cross country meet.”
Bradley Classic – October 14th – Peoria, IL
The Jays hop on the MVC trail and make a stop in a familiar city to many Creighton athletes, Peoria, giving them a look at a few more Valley teams in anticipation of the MVC Championship meet. Bradley hosted the 2010 MVC Championships on this course, but at this meet, the distances will be shorter.
Davis: “We should see Illinois State & Southern Illinois at the Louisville Classic, but the Bradley Classic will be our first shot at most of the rest of the conference.”
Bradley Classic 2009:
Men’s Team: 13th of 16
Top Male Finisher: Steve VanGampleare, 26:57, 60th of 158
Women’s Team: 13th of 19
Top Female Finisher: Hannah Connealy, 23:05, 44th of 180
MVC Championship – October 30th – Terre Haute, IN
This year’s MVC Championships are hosted by Indiana State, and the Jays’ will have the opportunity to show how they stack up against the preseason Valley predictions.
MVC Championships 2010:
Men’s Team: 9th of 9
Top Male Finisher: Chris Culhane, 26:29, 30th of 69
Women’s Team: 10th of 10
Top Female Finisher: Slaine Kelly, 18:57, 36th of 76
NCAA Midwest Regional – November 12th – DeKalb, IL
The women will make their second trip, the men their first, to DeKalb for the NCAA Regional meet. Always a large and competitive meet, the Jays will be running with some of the top teams in the country.
NCAA Midwest Regional 2010:
Men’s Team: 24th of 24
Top Male Finisher (10K): Chris Culhane, 31:58, 79th of 171
Women’s Team: 26th of 27
Top Female Finisher (6K): Slaine Kelly, 22:20, 108th of 188
Compared to most other sports at Creighton, the cross country teams have limited opportunities to go out and compete. Besides the first couple weeks of September, the teams will have a week off from competition. Davis explains the importance of the off-week and what he plans to accomplish with the team.
“We tend to be more aggressive with our training during that “week off” than we otherwise would be preparing for a race on the weekend. It provides a mental and physical break from the stress of racing (and traveling) what can be very draining 5K’s to 6K’s for the women and 8K’s for the men. We usually feel more confident really attacking more workouts when we aren’t having to stay fresh for a race and it usually doesn’t beat our squad up as much as a race would.”
This past spring, the men’s and women’s cross country teams were two of the four Creighton teams to be recognized by the NCAA Academic Progress Report (APR) Public Recognition Awards for the 2009-2010 academic years. Davis looks for certain athletes when he’s out recruiting but that is only the tip of the iceberg. The student-athletes put in the work and Creighton has the support system in place to offer assistance. Davis discusses how academics are stressed and how student athletes and the recent APR Award:
“With the type of student-athletes Creighton University attracts, we usually do not have to be the ones stressing it, kind of like preaching to the choir. But it’s always a conversation I make sure to have in the recruiting process to help identify prospects that would be a good academic “fit” for Creighton. From there, our first team meeting of the year begins by focusing on success in the classroom. We also make sure to cooperate closely with our staff in the Academic Learning Center as freshmen make the transition to college. Steve Brace, Lisa Chipps and John Huebscher do a fantastic job of helping our student-athletes navigate their academics.
We are always proud of our Academic Progress Report Public Recognition Awards, but it actually puts much more of a focus on graduation alone and isn’t necessarily the best indication of the degree of success in the classroom. Since our kids aren’t having a problem graduating, we tend to take more pride in how both of our squads consistently remain in the top 25 – often top five – of the All-Academic Team list (based on GPA) across DI NCAA Cross Country.”
Keep up with the cross country team and follow them on twitter @Cr8on_XC_Track