One step away from the NCAA Regional meet, 24 DePauw runners are prepared to place higher than their peer-ranking predictions.
The North Coast Athletic Conference Championships will be hosted by the College of Wooster on the L.C. Boles Golf Course. The runners will circle eight holes of the nine-hole public course before returning to the Wooster Inn Clubhouse.
"It's very typical for cross country to run on a golf course," head coach Kori Stoffregen said. "It's well-manicured grass, and actually the best-case scenario for a race."
Although the grass is an advantage, the nature of a golf course with its rolling knolls will make the run slightly more difficult.
"This course is hillier than Oshkosh," freshman Heather O'Brien said. "We may be able to use that to our advantage because we train at the Nature Park. So that could benefit us."
The record for this course was set two years ago at 25:18 by an Edinboro University runner, a record within reach for senior Noah Droddy. Coming off of two first-place invitational finishes in Oshkosh and Terra Haute, Droddy rarely runs a race slower than 25 minutes.
DePauw men placed 16th out of 38 schools in the Brooks Invitational on Oct. 13, while the women placed 21st. Each team will take 12 runners to qualify for seven regional meet spots.
"I know a lot of girls are really excited to push themselves for this meet," O'Brien said. "This could be the last race for some girls."
O'Brien paced the team finishing 22nd overall, followed by sophomore Hope Jordan, junior Ashley Guevara and sophomore Emma Clor.
The front-runners individually are Droddy and O'Brien, but the team effort for the conference championships is crucial in Stoffregen's mind. He will also be looking to runners like juniors Stuart Newstat and Dillon Raidt to aid the overall team score.
The men's team was predicted to finish fifth last year by the Pre-Championship NCAC coaches' poll, just as the women were predicted third. This year, DePauw teams are predicted to finish fourth in the NCAC, behind the men of Allegany College of Maryland, Oberlin College women and Wabash College men.
"Coach just really emphasized our goal of beating their predictions," O'Brien said. "I think we're definitely capable of being in the top three."
With hopes high, both teams are restless just a day before they meet their conference rivals.
"We're getting fired up for the conference meet," Stroffregen said. "With the weather as nice as it is, it's really easy to be excited and anxious for Saturday."