Conn to host 2021 Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Cross Country Championship
For the third time in program history, Connecticut College will serve as host for the NCAA Division III Regional Cross Country Championship, which will take place Saturday, Nov. 13, at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Connecticut.
Approximately 35 teams compete in the event. The men’s 8k race begins at 11 a.m., and the women’s 6k race will follow at 12:15 p.m. The event will conclude with the presentation of awards at 1:45 p.m.
The Camels previously hosted the New England Regional Championships in 2007 and 2015. This year marks the first-ever Mideast Regional Championship, as the NCAA realigned from eight regions to 10 this fall. The winning team in each of the 10 regional meets across the country will automatically qualify for the NCAA Division III Championship, to be held the following Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky. Spalding University will serve as the host institution for the national championship.
In addition to the 10 automatically qualifying teams, another 22 at-large teams will be selected to the field. Once the championship field of 32 teams is established, the top seven individual finishers from each region who are not members of the qualifying teams will also earn invitations to the national meet.
Connecticut College’s men’s team holds the No. 6 spot in the regional rankings. The Camels finished seventh at the NESCAC Championship and earlier took fifth at the Connecticut College Invitational in October. The leading tandem of Jeffrey Love ’23 and Matt Carter ’23 are ably backed by Chris Verstandig ’23 and Stuart Pollock ’22.
The Camel women are also ranked No. 6 in the regional rankings. The women’s team placed seventh at the NESCAC Championship and 10th at the Connecticut College Invitational in October. Julia Curran ’23 and senior Emi Schwab ’22 have been the team’s top two runners in every meet this fall.
For more on the championship, including a full schedule of events and directions to the venue, click here.
