The No. 6 University of Southern Indiana men’s cross country team looks for a podium finish when it toes the line at the NCAA Division II Championships Saturday at 11:15 a.m. in Joplin, Missouri.
USI is coming off a second-place finish to No. 1 Grand Valley State University at the NCAA II Midwest Region Championships two weeks ago at Angel Mounds.
Junior Chase Broughton (Marengo, Indiana) led USI with a ninth-place finish, while senior Johnnie Guy (Palmyra, Indiana) and junior Noah Lutz (Evansville, Indiana) were 22nd and 26th, respectively.
Guy and Lutz are normally USI’s top two finishers, but both battled flu-like conditions at the regional.
USI Head Coach Mike Hillyard is hopeful that both Guy and Lutz will be healthy in time for Saturday’s race. Guy is one of the top contenders for the individual crown, while Lutz could be a top-20 finisher with a strong race.
Broughton should also be in the mix for All-America honors as well, which goes to the top 40 finishers.
Senior Tyler Schickel (Poseyville, Indiana) was an All-American a year ago with his 40th-place finish at the national meet; while junior Josh Guy (Palmyra, Indiana) is looking to follow an All-American performance in the 10,000 meters last spring with his first-career cross country All-America award.
