Cortland State and Middlebury look for repeats

Sept. 1, 2009

NCAA.com Staff

Division III has featured a wide range of champions on the men’s side this decade while on the women’s side one name continues to rise above the rest.

The Middlebury women captured their fifth national title since 2000 last fall, but will they be able to make it a sixth come November when the D-III world of cross country converges upon Baldwin-Wallace College and the Highland Hills Golf Course for the 2009 NCAA Championships Nov. 21?

Cortland State captured its first national title last fall, but can the Red Dragons repeat and fend off the advances of perennial contenders Williams and Wis.-La Crosse?

Men

Cortland State
The defending national champions will once again be in the mix in 2009. Seth DuBois will be the pacesetter for the Red Dragons after he ran to a seventh place finish at last year’s NCAA Championships. Cortland State will lose Seamus Nally who finished behind DuBois, but they do return Justin Wagner who came in 28th place at the championships. In all, four runners who finished in the championships’ top 76 return for the Red Dragons from last year.

Women

Bethel
They may have only finished 19th out of 32 teams in last year’s NCAA Championships, but with individual champion Marie Bonner back for her senior season – along with several other young runners – the Royals could be poised for a big push this November. Bethel peaked at No. 13 during the regular season rankings last year and chances are with Bonner leading the way again we could see the Royals peak much higher.