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Northern, Prairie Farms hosts Frontier XC Championships

Once upon a time, the newly-formed Montana State University-Northern cross country program didn't even have a home meet. Now, the Lights and Skylights will host the 2020 Frontier Conference Championships.

Friday at Prairie Farms Golf Course, the Frontier will gather for the men's and women's championship races. Bids to next spring's NAIA national championships, Frontier titles, and individual glory will all be on the line Friday.

Carroll College, Montana Tech, Montana Western, MSU-Northern and Rocky Mountain College will compete for the titles.

Hosted by Northern, the championship meet is scheduled for Prairie Farms Golf Course. The men's 8,000-meter race begins at noon followed by the women's 5,000-meter race at 1 p.m.

Covid-19 restrictions will be in place and spectators will not be allowed on the course.

Entering the conference championship meet, three Frontier Conference schools are ranked in the latest 2020-21 NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches Top 25 poll. Rocky Mountain College is ranked 13th, Carroll College 17th and Montana Tech, in their first year, is ranked at No. 20.

On the women's side, Carroll College moves into the top 10 of the 2020-21 Women's Cross Country Coaches Top 25 poll. The Saints are ninth. Montana Western moves up from 21st to No. 18. Rocky Mountain received votes but not enough to move into the Top 25.

The first place team and the individual champions automatically qualify for the NAIA 2020-21 national championships, April 9, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Any individual runner who places in the top 15 but is not on the championship team is also eligible for consideration as an automatic or at-large entrant at the national cross-country meet.

Northern, of head coach Chad Spangler, is certainly excited to host the meet on its home turf.

"It's also a big advantage to host in our sport," Spangler said. "Our athlete's will be able to get good sleep and be able to stay loose going into the race - it is so tough to sit on a bus for five hours, then get off and race. So, we're happy to host. It's so much better for our athletes."

 

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