On Nov. 9, the Michigan Technological University cross country team will return to Lewis University for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. This championship is the second race of their postseason, following the GLIAC championships with impressive team results of second for the men’s team and fifth for the women. All-American and multiple-time GLIAC Athlete of the Week Sam Lange has led the Huskies to a 20th-place national ranking going into the postseason.
Qualification for the 34 teams at the National Championships in Sacramento can be achieved by automatic bid or wild card bid. An automatic bid is a top-three finish at your Regional Championship. Wild-card bids are issued by the DII Cross Country Committee which chooses the final ten teams of the field based on their entire season constructing the most competitive field possible. The top two runners whose teams do not qualify for Nationals will also earn a position at Nationals running unattached.
This year has brought changes that are hoping to make a difference. Zeb Swager, a second-year runner, notes, “Compared to last year, the injury rate is very far down. Last year we lost multiple of our top five to injury, and this year we’ve been very cognitive of where everyone has been.” A new approach to recovery has also played a role. Swager explains, “Extra rest and focus on recovery is what has been a major factor for us to stay healthy and progress this year.”
This is most likely a result of changes in the coaching staff as Coach Robbert Young takes on his first cross country seasons as Head Coach. Young has brought on talented support staff including Assistant Coach Luke More and Graduate Assistant Coaches Clayton Sayen, Karah McElhone, and Wesley Beck. More and Sayen are Alumni of the program, who earned All-Region and All-American respectively in their time as Huskies, and who helped the program go to Nationals in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. “The team is great this year, there is so much talent on the team,” says Sayen, “Our staff has realigned our values since last season, and the team is really showing the success of that.”
