Spartans Favorites to Win NAC Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Crowns

AURORA, Ill. August 30, 2007 - Aurora University has been picked to win the 2007 Northern Athletics Conference Men's Cross Country Championship, while AU and Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) have been picked to win the Women's Championship according to the coaches' preseason poll.

AU received four first place votes in the men's poll, and tallied four more points than Concordia University Wisconsin. The Spartans won the inaugural conference championship last season, placing all seven runners in the top 20. None of the Spartans' top seven runners were lost to graduation.

In the women's poll, AU and CUW received the identical amount of first place votes (five) and points (159). In last season's Northern Athletics Conference Championship, both teams finished with 45 points, and the Spartans won the championship based on the higher finish of the teams' sixth runners.

Seven NAC schools begin their season this weekend in four different meets. The postseason begins with the Northern Athletics Conference Championships on October 27 in Schiller Park, Ill. NCAA Division III Regionals will take place on November 10 in Oshkosh, Wis., while the finals are scheduled for November 17 in St. Olaf, Minn.

2007 NAC Men's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll
1. Aurora University (4), 131
2. Concordia Univ. Wisconsin (1), 127
3. Wisconsin Lutheran College, 112
4. MSOE (7), 108
5. Rockford College, 101
6. Benedictine University, 81
7. Edgewood College, 66
8. Maranatha Baptist Bible College, 63
9. Dominican University, 50
10. Concordia University Chicago, 45
11. Lakeland College, 30
12. Marian College, 22

2007 NAC Women's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll
1. Aurora University (5), 159
Concordia Univ. Wisconsin (5), 159
3. Wisconsin Lutheran College (1), 143
4. Benedictine University, 118
5. Edgewood College, 117
6. Maranatha Baptist Bible College, 86
7. MSOE (2), 77
8. Alverno College, 73
9. Rockford College, 72
10. Concordia University Chicago, 59
11. Dominican University, 58
12. Lakeland College, 33
13. Marian College, 29

The Spartan men’s and women’s cross country teams are in action on Friday, August 31, 2007, when they travel to the Elmhurst College Earlybird Invitational, meet time is set for 5:00 p.m. in Elmhurst, IL.

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