Midwest region: Grand Valley gets another course test drive

This year (for the women) and next year (for the men) are when Grand Valley State will challenge for a national title.
Junior engineering major and steeple All-American Tyler Emmorey (pictured) leads the heralded group of underclassmen, who have this year and next to at least notch a best-ever team finish. So why can they afford to look to next year? GVSU’s top five features nary a senior. Why is this year exciting? At their conference meet, they perfect-scored. Pack time? 16.3 seconds. First things first, they have to advance from the regional race in Louisville. S. Indiana (which has done a nice job after losing a top-5 runner to Western), Drury, Ashland and whoever else wll be left shooting for second.
For the women, the time is now. Not only do they have a deep team, but they get another dress rehearsal on the nationals course. To wit:

• Megan Maceratini leads the Lakers and will make up for last year’s 156th-place finish..
• Indoor and outdoor mile runner-up Monica Kinney didn’t run at conference, but is solid.
• Kylen Cieslak transferred from Northwoods and has been a regular top-five finisher on the team.
• Katherine McCarthy and Jessie Vickers are returning All-Americans.
• Rebecca Winchester redshirted last fall.

And I’ve probably missed somebody. Again, the regional meet is the first act. It would be cool to see host Bellarmine qualify as hosts, like S. Indiana did last year. But this meet serves as a tune-up for future national champions -- not only this year, but perhaps next.

Midwest: Young Grand Valley State already has experience

Grand Valley State might start its 2010 national title run with a win at regionals at the well-known Kenosha, Wis., cross country course (ah, I have fond memories of that place!).

GVSU -- fifth in Slippery Rock with only one senior -- will be pretty good in Evansville, too. Soph Tyler Emmorey will leads the Lakers. He's a good bet to win the regional race, too.

The team was runner-up at the Michigan intercollegiates and only barely lost to D3 power North Central at Notre Dame.

Southern Indiana will likely be on guard against a let down. They absolutely must qualify in order to keep home field advantage at nationals. And qualify they should. The team was a strong second behind East power Stonehill at Pre-Nats in September.

The third spot should go to Saginaw Valley State, who have consistently beat likely fourth-place finishers Hillsdale this year.