The 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships are slated for this Saturday (Nov. 23) in Louisville, Kentucky, and three University of Wisconsin Oshkosh runners will be there.
Junior Cody Chadwick, of the Titan men’s cross country team, and senior Ashton Keene and junior Hannah Lohrenz, of the women’s cross country team, each earned an individual at-large berth into the national championships.
For Chadwick, this will be his second appearance at the men’s national championship, having also earned a bid in 2018. Chadwick’s 11th place finish at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional, hosted by UWO on Nov. 16, helped him earn his second-straight individual berth.
“I had probably the best race of my life at regionals this past weekend,” Chadwick said. “I snagged a spot individually, which is pretty cool.”
With a little more experience under his belt, Chadwick is going into this year’s nationals with a different mindset.
“This is my second time, and I now have a little more experience,” Chadwick said. “Last year I was maybe just too happy about being at nationals. So this year I am focusing on racing well. I am going in with a little bit more competitive mindset.”
For Keene, this is her first time racing at nationals as an individuals. As a freshman in 2016, she helped the Titans to a fourth place team finish at the National Championship, ironically also held in Louisville, Kentucky.
“I am really excited and its very gratifying that all my work has paid off,” Keene said. “I couldn’t think of a better way to end my cross country career than to go to nationals.”
It is the first appearance at the national championship for Lohrenz, who wasn’t expecting to earn an individual berth.
“I wasn’t really expecting it, but I am really excited and I think it is really cool to go with the other two that made it,” Lohrenz said. “It will be a good experience.”
Chadwick, Keene and Lohrenz will hit the road to Kentucky with Titan head men’s and women’s cross country coach Eamon McKenna Thursday and will have a practice run on the course at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park Friday, before the big race kicks off on Saturday.
The men’s 8,000-meter race begins at 9:45 a.m. CT, and the women’s 6,000-meter race is set for 10:45 a.m. CT.
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