Haverford Prepares to Defend Men's Cross Country Championship

The Haverford College men's cross country team is Wisconsin-bound and preparing to race in the NCAA Division III 2011 Cross Country national championship on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. eastern standard time (EST).

In 2010, the Haverford men stormed to the national title, securing the first-ever NCAA team trophy in Haverford's history.  Since 1978, head coach Tom Donnelly's runners have qualified teams or individuals for the Division III nationals in all but three years.

Donnelly's arsenal Saturday includes four runners who finished ahead of the second-place team at regionals -- Dickinson College (the other Centennial Conference qualifying team). Those four are: senior Eric Arnold, junior Jordan Schilit, senior Andrew Sturner and junior Peter Kissin.  Also looking strong is sophomore Brian Sokas, senior Tim Schoch and junior Ivo Milic-Strkalj.  At the regional meet, all seven Ford runners finished under 26:38 in the eight-kilometer event. 

Two of those Fords runners, Arnold and Schilit, return as 2010 NCAA cross country All-Americans.  Two others, Schoch and Milic-Strkalj, are NCAA track all-Americans. 

The Fords will try to repeat their 2010 national victory performance going in as the No. 2 team in the country. North Central College (Ill.), the current No. 1 team, was the 2009 team champion.