Cross Country News

January 28, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced that the Cascade Collegiate Conference and Concordia (Ore.) University have been awarded the 2009 and 2010 Men's and Women's Cross Country National Championships.

Evergreen sent two athletes, Annie Mullen and Brian Rakestraw, to the 2008 Championships held in Kenosha, Wisconsin last November. The women's team (NAIA #32) came close to a championship berth.

The 54th annual men's and 30th annual womens national championship events will take place on November 21, 2009, at the Fort Vancouver Historical Site, in Vancouver, Washington. The following year the event will be contested on November 20, 2010.

More than 750 student-athletes from the United States and Canada will travel to Vancouver for a chance to compete for NAIA team and individual titles. Fort Vancouver Historical Site, located near Portland, Oregon, is a unique, historic and challenging competition venue that boasts a successful record for hosting world class cross country championship events, including USA Men's and Women's Cross Country National Championships and World Cross Country Trials.

"Bringing the NAIA Cross Country Championships to this area is a natural, and we are honored and excited to have been awarded this event for the next two years. This is a special opportunity to add to the outstanding running tradition this region is known for and to showcase the sport of collegiate cross country in a national championship setting," said Dave Haglund, Commissioner, Cascade Collegiate Conference.

"We are excited to welcome hundreds of inspirational student-athletes from around the nation as they come to the Northwest for the 2009 and 2010 NAIA Cross Country Championships at historic Fort Vancouver," commented Drew Mahalic, CEO of the Oregon Sports Authority.

Following completion of the regular season, the top 32 men's and 32 women's teams plus individual qualifiers will compete in an 8,000 meter race (men) and 5,000 meter race (women). This is the first time for student-athletes to compete in the state of Washington under the national championship umbrella.

Tournament qualifiers and event details will be available in November 2009. Fans can follow all the action via the NAIA's Internet site, www.NAIA.org.