GARDEN CITY, Kan. - The Vincennes University Cross Country teams are set to compete in the NJCAA National Championships on Saturday. The meet will take place at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City, KS.

Sophomore Liz Bredeweg is the lone runner on the women’s team, while the men will have a complete team.
Bredeweg was part of the women’s team who placed ninth at the national meet last season as she placed 115th out of a field of 309. Her time was 20 minutes, 24.1 seconds.

This season, Bredeweg missed most of the year due to an injury but bounced back to win the Region XXIV meet with a time of 20:05.4. In the week and half off since the region meet, Bredeweg has developed another minor injury, according to VU coach Randy Heisler. “She had a couple really good practices (after the region meet) then last weekend on an easy run she started to develop a cramp in her high hamstring,” the Trailblazers coach said. “I think she will be fine for this weekend as we have been cautious with her. We have just been trying to keep her mentally fresh. She is ready to run.”

Bredeweg won the region meet on Oct. 10 by nearly three minutes. Heisler noted Saturday will be a different kind of race. “She is going to have a pack in front of her, a pack behind her and she will be in the middle of a pack,” Heisler explained. “She just needs to be comfortable in that situation and just race, not just fall in place. We want her to be in a position to have a kick in that last mile and just see what happens. I really think she is ready to have a big breakthrough.”

For the men, the Trailblazers enter coming off a Region XXIV team championship.

VU has three runners who were a part of last season’s ninth-place finish at the national meet - Atlantis Green, Seth Vaquero and Jacob Adams.

“They are all second-year runners who have done a really good job and are leaving their mark on the program,” Heisler stated. “I wish I had them for another 2-3 years.”

Last season, Green (27:04.2) finished 83rd in the national meet, while Vaquero (27:28.0) and Adams (28:32.9) finished 123rd and 205th, respectively, out of 320 harriers.

Green and Vaquero finished first and second, respectively, in the region meet two weeks ago.

Milan Todorovic, Morne Scharnick, Bryuan Manuel and Logan Busz round out the Trailblazers who will be competing in the final meet of the season.

Heisler mentioned he does not have a certain goal in mind for the team, when it comes to placement. “Our expectations are simple,” the veteran coach said. “We are going there expecting everyone to run a personal record. If we finish in the Top 10, that’s great. But I just want them to go there represent VU and have nothing left when they cross the finish line and see what happens. That is all we can ask of them.”

The women’s 5K race is set for 12 p.m. (CST), with the men’s 8K race set for 1 p.m. (CST).

###

Follow all Trailblazer athletics on Twitter @VUBlazerSports and on Facebook.

LINK to VU Online Newsroom, click HERE

VICKIE PUFFER, Communications Coordinator & Online Newsroom Manager
812-888-4162 office, 812-887-4635 cell, VUNews@vinu.edu, vpuffer@vinu.edu
VINCENNES UNIVERSITY, Department of University Relations, www.vinu.edu/news/newsroom