INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships, hosted by Bellarmine University, will be held in Louisville, Ky. on Saturday, Oct. 24 at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park. The 25th annual six-kilometer women’s race will begin at 10 a.m., with the 32nd annual eight-kilometer men’s race following at 10:45 a.m.

 

Southern Indiana is the defending GLVC champion on both the men’s and women’s side. The Eagles have won four straight men’s titles and five of the last six 8K races.

 

Southern Indiana snapped UW-Parkside’s stranglehold on the women’s crown last season by taking home its fourth team title. The Rangers had won the previous four titles. Southern Indiana or UW-Parkside has won every women’s title since 1998.

 

With several regionally-ranked programs in the mix in 2009, the competition in both races will be stiff. Southern Indiana’s women are ranked second in the Midwest and Bellarmine, Northern Kentucky and Lewis are all ranked in the top ten.

 

Southern Indiana is led by Mary Ballinger (Chesterton, Ind.). Ballinger, a senior for he Eagles and two-time cross country All-American, finished second last year to UW-Parkside’s Jessica Monson. Ballinger posted the fastest second-place finishing time in league history last year in Rolla, Mo. and has the fastest 6K time (17:33).

 

Lewis’ Kathryn Hague (Chicago, Ill.) was an All-GLVC pick in 2008 and has posted the second-fastest 6K time in the GLVC in 2009. Hague leads a host of individuals that should factor into the team and individual decision on Saturday.

 

Southern Indiana is also ranked second in the Midwest on the men’s side. Bellarmine, Drury and Northern Kentucky have each received recognition in the region this year.

 

Southern Indiana is led by a host of strong runners, including 2008 GLVC Freshman of the Year Dustin Emerick (Elmwood, Ill.), Brendan Devine (Bethel, NY) and David Goodman (Valparaiso, Ind.). The trio of sophomores all earned All-GLVC honors a year ago and have posted strong times in 2009.

 

Drury’s Jaime Villa Zapatero (Madrid, Spain) is the reigning GLVC individual men’s champion and GLVC Runner of the Year. Zapatero, who earned All-America honors in 2008, holds the fastest time in the 8K among GLVC runners this year.

 

Northern Kentucky’s Drew Harris (Alexandria, Ky.) is a four-time GLVC Runner of the Week in 2009. Harris, a junior and All-GLVC honoree in 2008, finished second to Zapatero at last year’s GLVC Championship and currently has the second-fastest time in the GLVC in 2009.