Friday, November 3, 2000

ACU aiming for first regional title
Women hoping for top-six finish
By Al Pickett
Reporter-News Staff Writer

This has been a record-setting fall for the Abilene Christian University men’s cross country team.

The Wildcats have been ranked No. 1 in the nation in NCAA Division II for most of the year after beating defending NCAA Division I national champion Arkansas twice this fall. This is the first time that ACU has been ranked No. 1 in cross country.

Abilene Christian can add to its lists of firsts Saturday when it runs in the NCAA Division II South Central Region meet in Commerce. The Wildcats have never won a regional cross country championship.

“Our main objective is to qualify for nationals,” said ACU coach Jon Murray. “But we think we can win it. It will be exciting to win a regional title.”

One reason that ACU has never won a regional cross country championship is because the South Central Region has usually included the Rocky Mountain Conference and traditional powers Western State and Adams State. This year, however, the Rocky Mountain Conference has been moved to another region, which means ACU won’t race against Western State and Adams State until the national meet.

“This way, we just have to see them one time,” Murray said.

The men’s 10,000-meter run begins at 9 a.m. Saturday on the Texas A&M-Commerce campus, followed by the women’s 6,000-meter run at 10 a.m.

ACU swept the top six places in easily winning the Lone Star Conference championship two weeks ago. Saturday’s regional meet will include other teams from the LSC, as well as schools from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Murray said Missouri Southern, Central Missouri State, Truman State and Pittsburg State from the MIAA will be the Wildcats’ chief challengers. Missouri Southern won the MIAA championships, while Central Missouri was sixth in the national meet a year ago. ACU took fourth at the NCAA Division II meet last year.

“We’re just trying to prepare ourselves for nationals,” Murray said. “We’re in a good position, and we all feel really good about where we are right now in relation to our goal of winning a national championship.”

Alfred Rugema, who has won four meets this year including the LSC championship, will lead the ACU contingent. He’ll be pushed by teammates John Kemboi and Gilbert Tuhabonye. Another top ACU runner, Francis Kimeli, is nursing an injury and may not run Saturday.

“We’ll be all right, even if he doesn’t run,” Murray said. “We’re seven deep.”

The top four teams and top two individuals not on one of those four teams will qualify for the NCAA Division II national meet to be held Nov. 18 in Pomona, Calif.

In the women’s race, only the top two teams and top two individuals not on one of those teams will qualify for nationals.

Murray knows his Lady Wildcats probably won’t make the top two, but he hopes they can have a top six finish. He also hopes that freshman Justine Nahimana, who was second at the LSC meet, can qualify for the national meet individually.

Contact sports editor Al Pickett at 676-6772 or picketta@abinews.com. We are on the Web at http://sports.texnews.com.