After a season of mile repeats in the Nature Park and time trials on the track, the men and women are ready to race for a spot at the national meet next weekend in Hanover, Ind.
The men and women cross country teams will be racing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Great Lakes Regional Championship in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Saturday, Nov. 16.
The top two teams from each region qualify for nationals and the top seven individuals, not on those teams, also qualify. The NCAA gives at-large bids to teams based on performance in conference and regional championships.
The men's team is looking great coming off of their 5th place finish at conference. They have officially groomed their facial hair into seven deadly mustaches with senior captain, Dillon Raidt, commanding the pack with his powerful beard.
Junior Will Bond is pumped for the race on Saturday. He says he likes to listen to Coldplay, or "Tootsie Roll" by the 69Boyz, to get psyched for the race.
"It's all starting to come together," Bond says. "Our fitness, our legs, our 'staches, I'm excited."
The Tiger Women's team placed 6th at conference without a full squad. This week, they plan to wow the region with a national qualifying performance. With leading ladies Emma MacAnally, Siri Retrum and Heather O'Brien, the team will perform at their highest level. The team is ranked 29th nationally and is the first ranked women's team since 2010.
The Tigers have been preparing for the regional meet all season. This is where they are going to see the results they have been training for. With experience on the regional course, the Tigers know what to expect and have been training accordingly. They have one thing on their mind: nationals.