Oct. 18, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Great Lakes Valley Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday in Indianapolis. The University of Indianapolis is hosting the 29th annual event at the varsity fields on the campus of Butler University.

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is the defending champion of the women's 6K meet. The Rangers posted a team score of 39 to take the 2006 crown, their third consecutive team title. UW-Parkside has won six of the last seven women's team titles and seven overall since joining the GLVC in 1995.

The Rangers were led in 2006 by a host of runners returning to help UW-P defend the team title in 2007. Valerie Hubbard was the runner-up at last year's event and will be one of three 2006 All-GLVC performers competing for the Rangers this year. Senior Naomi Fulton finished third a year ago and junior Jessica Lamp posted a seventh place finish.

UW-Parkside which advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championships last season is currently ranked eighth in the USTFCCCA Top 25 Poll.

The University of Southern Indiana's Allison Shafer took home the individual crown in 2006 in a time of 21:46 but due to injury will be unable to defend her title in 2007. USI, which finished second as a team in 2006, is currently ranked 19th in the country.

UW-Parkside and Southern Indiana have collected the last nine women's team championships. USI has claimed three team titles with the last coming in 2003. UW-Parkside's seven team titles are second best in league history behind former member Ashland University's nine championships.

The men's 8K event will be challenged by a host of clubs. Southern Indiana is the defending champion having claimed the 2006 title hosted by SIU Edwardsville with a team score of 63. The title was the second consecutive for the Eagles and their league-best 14th overall.

Lewis University finished second a year ago and was followed by Northern Kentucky, SIU Edwardsville and Missouri-Rolla.

Southern Indiana is currently ranked seventh in the country and is led by 2006 GLVC Runner-Up Paul Jellema. The senior runner finished last year's event in a time of 25:37. Jellema will lead the Eagles this season while challenging for the individual crown.

In addition to the Eagles, two other programs are currently ranked in the Top 25. Missouri-Rolla is ranked 18th heading into this year's event and Northern Kentucky, which advanced to the NCAA DII National Championships last season, is ranked 21st.

The two competiitive races will be held Saturday morning with the women's 6K leading off at 9:30 a.m. The men's 8K race will follow at 10:30 a.m.

-Story courtesy of the GLVC sports information office