Wildcats run for national title Saturday

ACU enters national meet as co-favorite

ASHLAND, Ohio -- The ACU men's cross country team will try to win the school's first-ever national championship in cross country Saturday when the Wildcats compete in the NCAA Division II cross country national championship meet on the campus of Ashland University.

The Wildcats, who have finished as the national runner-up in each of the last two years, enter the meet as the co-favorite -- along with No. 1-ranked Western State, Colo. -- to win the national championship. ACU has won 50 team national championships in its illustrious athletics history, but none in cross country. The track and field team has captured 47 championships, the football team has won a pair of NAIA national titles, and the golf team won the 1993 NCAA Division II national championship.

However, no ACU cross country team has ever been able to do what this year's men's team will try to do Saturday.

"We've had a very business-like approach to this whole meet," Murray said from Ashland, Ohio. "I think we're really serious about doing what we came here to do. Across the board we're all tired of finishing second. We want to do what we came here to do and that's win the whole thing."

A mild storm dumped about four inches of snow on the Ashland area Friday, but Murray said he didn't believe the snow would affect the race.

"It's supposed to be really cold and wet for the race, but the cold won't affect us," Murray said. "The course is very nice, and because it's flat, it suits our team very well."

In their last two races -- the Lone Star Conference and NCAA Division II South Central region championships -- the Wildcats have finished 1-7 and 1-5, respectively. While neither of those scenarios will probably take place Saturday, Murray believes his team has a chance to do some damage at the front of the race.

"Obviously our top three guys -- Alfred Rugema, John Kemboi and Bernard Manirakiza -- have to take care of business at the front of the race," Murray said. "If they can do a good job on that end and then we can pack our next four guys into the top 20, we should be in good shape."

On the women's side, ACU's Justine Nahimana and Angie Waters will compete individually in the 6,000-meter race that follows the men's 10,000-meter race.