MSU-N harriers run for titles

The Montana State University-Northern men's and women's cross country teams have had a pretty exciting season, and mostly run, in some pretty awful weather.

Now however, everything the Lights and Skylights have done, in training and in meets will be about one last big race.

Northern heads to the Frontier Conference Championships Friday, which will be held in Billings. And, for head coach Chad Spangler's Lights and Skylights, the meet is an opportunity to show just how far the program has come in a short amount of time.

The Lights are already looking at their highest finish ever in the Frontier, no matter how things shake out. Northern is currently ranked third by time amongst Frontier squads, only behind nationally ranked Lewis-Clark State and Rocky Mountain College. For one week, the Lights also received votes in the NAIA Men's Coaches Poll.

Now, the goal will be to run the best the Lights have ever run and try to qualify for the NAIA Championships. To do so automatically, Northern would need to upset the Warriors and Battlin' Bears, and win the Frontier team title. However, if the Lights can post a good enough time, there is still a chance of earning an at-large bid to nationals, as well.

The Lights also have individual runners who will be gunning for nationals, including leaders Field Soosloff and Amos Taiswa. That duo has been at the front of the pack for the Lights all season, but Northern's depth has been good, too, with senior Luke Karnauskas another veteran runner for the Lights who will be in the hunt this weekend. Dan Kirwa, Kai Krumwiede and Liam Baez-Terry are also runners to watch for the Lights.

On the women's side, Northern has also had a strong season, and the Skylights will look to make a move up the ranks in Billings. Northern is led by veteran, and former All-Conference performer Rachel David, while Allison Tigert has posted top times for the Skylights for much of the fall. Ashley McCready-Romero, as well as former Havre Blue Ponies Kaylee and Kaitlin Nystrom have turned in good times this season, while Rain Johnson and Grace Schwenk round out the Skylight roster.

Northern will compete at the 2019 Frontier Conference Championships Friday, with the men's 8K and the women's 5K races. All qualifiers will advance to the NAIA Cross Country Championships Nov. 22 in Vancouver, Washington.