USI to Host Cross Country Championships
For the second time in five years, the University of Southern Indiana
will be the host site for the NCAA Division II Cross Country
Championships.
The NCAA recently announced that USI will host the 2009 NCAA II National
Championships, an event that brings in 48 teams and more than 400
student-athletes and coaches each year. The event is scheduled for
November 21.
“I think it’s great for the department and the University,” USI Director
of Athletics Jon Mark Hall said. “We have a wonderful campus and
wonderful people that work here. Events like this show the NCAA staff
and other member institutions of Division II what we are all about.”
USI hosted the 2004 NCAA II Cross Country Championships and USI Head
Coach Mike Hillyard is excited to have the chance to do it again.
“We’re really excited to have another opportunity to host,” Hillyard
said. “We had a lot of positive feedback from other coaches and athletes
when we hosted in 2004 and felt like it was a tremendous success.
“I think it is always good anytime you can have a major event on your
campus,” Hillyard continued. “It certainly puts the University, the
administration, yourself, and your kids in the spotlight. It’s great for
the community and it’s great for our student-athletes to have that
opportunity.”
Hosting the NCAA II National Championships also can have a positive
economic impact for the Evansville area. “I think the plus about hosting
the championship is that it brings a tremendous amount of people to the
Evansville community,” Hall said. “There are a lot of hotel rooms being
booked, a lot of meals being eaten in Evansville. Realistically, if we
pull the event off the right way and get the support of the community,
it can really help both the Evansville community and the USI athletic
program.”
Having hosted the event in 2004, Hall feels like USI will do an even
better job in 2009. “I think we did a good job in 2004, but I think
we’ll do a better job this time,” Hall explained. “Times have changed
and the event has probably changed a little bit. We have a great venue
for it and I don’t want to say it will be easier this time around, but I
think anytime you have experience at something, you’ll do a better job.”
In 2004, USI had a great volunteer turnout to help run the race and
various other events that were associated with the meet. Hall is
encouraging people to volunteer this year as well. “We will need a lot
of volunteers,” Hall said. “I think that anyone who was here in 2004
would remember how many people it took to work on the course and work on
the different kinds of auxiliary events for the championship.
“It’s a large effort,” Hall explained. “It’s a one-day event, but there
are months and months of planning that go into it.”
With strong squads coming back in 2009, USI also is looking forward to
competing at the national meet. “It’s a rare opportunity for your
student-athletes to have a chance to run a national championship on
their home course,” Hillyard said. “With a couple of pretty good teams
returning next year, we are definitely excited about the possibility of
that happening.”
