PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College men’s cross country team captured its fourth consecutive national title at last year’s 2014 DIII Men’s Cross Country National Championship. Can a five-peat in 2015 happen?
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Head coach Jim Macnider is pleased with what he’s seen so far in practices and would love for his team to make it a fifth straight national crown for the Hawks.
“We’ll certainly have a legitimate shot at defending. They’re a good group of kids, they’re working hard, and we’re going to be decent,” Macnider said.
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The road to a fifth straight national title begins Saturday morning as Harper opens its season at the Waubonsee Invite.
The men welcome back four runners from last year’s title-winning squad, led by Adam Brauer (Palatine, lll./Palatine) and Will Troman (/Streamwood). Brauer nabbed the final All-American spot with a 15th place finish at nationals last year, and Troman took 20th at last year’s national meet. Macnider also likes what he sees from sophomores T.J. Paton (Fairfield, Calif./Hersey) and Omar Alhayek (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg), who are much improved from a year ago.
This year’s group of freshman is solid, with Eddie Lamas (/Schaumburg), UW – Stevens Point transfer Travis Rauch (/Schaumburg), Alexander Gallanis (/Crystal Lake South), and Timothy Geary (/Palatine) leading the charge.
Following the Waubonsee Invite, the Hawks will compete at the Aurora Invite (Sept. 11), College of DuPage Invite (Sept. 25) Illinois Intercollegiate at Olivet Nazarene (Oct. 2), Benedictine Invite (Oct. 9), and Bradley Classic (Oct. 16). All of these meets will showcase strong competition from NCAA Div. I, II and III schools as well as NAIA and NJCAA schools. For driving directions to away meets, click here.
Harper College has the privilege of hosting this year’s Region IV Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31. The meet will be held on Harper’s campus For more information on the Region IV Championship, click here.
Macnider believes it’ll help his team because the Hawks practice on the course at least twice a week and will be very familiar with the terrain by the end of October.
The 2015 NJCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Championship will be hosted by Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, Maine. Macnider isn’t stressing too much about the prospects of a fifth straight national championship.
“As long as they run well and we’re happy with our performance, whatever place we get, we get.”
