BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) cross country runners will be back on course this weekend for the start of the 2024 season.
The new season officially begins on Friday evening with St. Olaf’s Ole Opener, though several teams won’t get underway with the fall campaign until the following weekend, including 2023 NCAA Division III women’s national champion Carleton College. The Knights - who visited The White House last month in celebration of their title - won their first-ever NCAA championship in any women’s sport in what was the closest race in the history of NCAA Division III women’s cross country.
The last regular season events of the season are currently scheduled for Saturday, October 19, allowing teams an extra week of rest before the MIAC Championships on Saturday, November 2.
The conference championship races return to St. Olaf College this fall. The women’s 6K race will begin at 11:00 a.m. with the men’s 8K race to follow at noon. Two weeks after the MIAC Championships, teams will return to Northfield for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s North Regionals hosted this year by Carleton College. The 2024 NCAA Men’s and Women’s NCAA Championships are scheduled for Saturday, November 23 at LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Indiana.
2023 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
MIAC Men’s Cross Country
St. Olaf (34)*%
Carleton (65)%
St. Scholastica (114)
Saint John’s (120)
Macalester (121)
Gustavus (179)
Concordia (192)
Bethel (202)
Augsburg (228)
Saint Mary’s (240)
Hamline (328) |
MIAC Women’s Cross Country
Carleton (25)*%!
St. Olaf (51)%
Saint Benedict (87)
St. Scholastica (119)
Bethel (150)
Gustavus (178)
Concordia (185)
Macalester (232)
Hamline (255)
Saint Mary’s (308)
Augsburg (323)
St. Catherine (371) |
*MIAC Champion
%NCAA Championship Participant
!NCAA National Champion |
|
MIAC APP
The MIAC mobile app remains free to fans and can be downloaded on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android devices. The app includes news, standings, and links to follow scores and stats in real-time.
AWARD WATCH
All-Conference honorees for men’s and women’s cross country will be determined at the 2024 MIAC Cross Country Championships. The top 15 finishers in each race will be named All-Conference while finishers 16-25 will receive honorable mention distinction. The individual winner of the men’s and women’s races will automatically earn MIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors. In the week following the conference championships, MIAC cross country coaches will also vote for individual recipients of the Rookie and Coach of the Year awards. To be eligible for Rookie of the Year honors, a student-athlete must be a true college first-year student (not a transfer from another institution or an academic sophomore/junior/senior who has not used eligibility.
Throughout the regular season, the MIAC will recognize top individual performances with the MIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Week awards. Cross Country Athlete of the Week awards will be issued throughout the fall when at least three MIAC teams have competed in a given week and nominations for outstanding performances have been submitted.
LOOKING AHEAD
USTFCCCA Men’s Preseason National Rankings: No. 14 St. Olaf
USTFCCCA Men’s Preseason Regional Rankings: No. 3 St. Olaf, No. 7 Carleton
USTFCCCA Women’s Preseason National Rankings: No. 12 Carleton, No. 14 St. Olaf, No. 24 Saint Benedict
USTFCCCA Women’s Preseason Regional Rankings: No. 2 Carleton, No. 3 St. Olaf, No. 10 Saint Benedict
First Race Date: Friday, August 30
MIAC Championships: Saturday, November 2
Men’s Season Links: Schedule | News | Top Times | Athletes of the Week | Championships | Record Book
Women’s Season Links: Schedule | News | Top Times | Athletes of the Week | Championships | Record Book