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Cross Country Teams Take Aim At Nationals Saturday

WINGATE, N.C. -- Both Anderson University cross country teams will attempt to qualify for the NCAA Division II meet Saturday at the Southeast Regional meet at Wingate. Anderson has qualified three individuals for the nationals but has never qualified an entire team on either side. With both CVAC titles in hand, Anderson head coach Randy Greer believes both of his teams will make serious runs at the qualifying spots. The men's 10K race will begin at 9:30 a.m., immediately followed by the women's 6K race which will start at 10:45 a.m. There is no admission charge; however, there is a $5 parking fee. On the men's side, Mars Hill College won the 2005 regional event and earned a trip to the nationals. Mars Hill has four regional titles. The 2006 South Atlantic Conference champion Lions are led by senior Jon Stoehr, who finished first at this year's Food Lion SAC championship meet. Host Wingate is seeking its first-ever trip to the national meet. The Bulldogs garnered a first-place finish at the Erskine Invitational and a fourth-place finish at the Food Lion SAC race. CVAC champion Anderson, led by sophomore Nate Parsons, will look to make some noise in this year's regional event, and St. Andrews Presbyterian College will be looking for another strong performance at Wingate. The Knights finished first at the Wingate Invitational earlier this season. In the women's race, Mars Hill College is the defending champion and will be seeking its fifth trip to the nationals. CVAC champion Anderson University and CIAA champion North Carolina Central University both are in the hunt for trips to the national meet. Individually, Carson-Newman College's Aubrey Morris looks to have a strong performance after finishing second in the SAC championship race. Also returning is Anderson junior Jennifer Hitt, who placed fourth in the 2005 regional and earned an individual berth to the nationals. Hitt, a three-time CVAC individual champion, will be seeking a third trip to the nationals. Wingate sophomore Amber Hines won 2006 Food Lion SAC championship race, earning Runner of the Year recognition. A full field is expected for the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional cross country meet. Twenty-four schools are sending men's and women's teams to this year's event.