Sports

Cross-Country in the Top Ten

September 20, 2007

By Jacob Wilkins

The men’s cross-country team at MBU was ranked in the top 10 in the NAIA’s first official national ratings thanks to strong performances in each of their first two meets. The ranking was a welcome change of pace for the team. “This is definitely the first time in recent history that the team has been ranked in the top 10,” said Gordon Reiter, head coach of the cross-country team.

The ranking is significant for reasons other than morale. “Yes, it’s important, but not just for bragging rights,” said Reiter. The ranking also contributes to eligibility for the NAIA national championship.

Each year a few teams that do not win their regional championship are given at-large bids to play in the national championship. A top 10 ranking is one factor that can earn such a bid.

The bragging rights do come with the ranking, though, and the team responded enthusiastically to the rating. The news was especially important to the seniors on the team, who have had an up-and-down ride while running for MBU.

According to Reiter, while there have been outstanding individual performances in the last few years, there have also been some coaching changes, and the team has not received much recognition. The ranking helped the team to think that perhaps this is their year. “The team is really pumped,” he said.

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