UW-Oshkosh Trio Travels To Kentucky For NCAA Cross Country Championships
The NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships are slated for Saturday (Nov. 23) in Louisville, Ky., and three UW-Oshkosh runners will be there.
Junior Cody Chadwick of the men’s team and senior Ashton Keene and junior Hannah Lohrenz of the women’s squad each earned at-large berths into the national meet.
For Chadwick, this will be his second appearance at nationals, having also earned an at-large bid to the meet in 2018. Chadwick’s 11th-place finish at last Saturday’s (Nov. 16) Midwest Regional hosted by UW-Oshkosh helped him earn his second-straight berth into the Division III Championship.
“I had probably the best race of my life at regionals this past weekend,” Chadwick said. “I snagged a spot individually, which is pretty cool.”
With a little more experience under his belt, Chadwick is going into this year’s national meet with a different mindset.
“This is my second time, and I now have a little more experience,” Chadwick said. “Last year I was maybe just too happy about being at nationals. So, this year I am focusing on racing well. I am going in with a little bit more competitive mindset.”
For Keene, this is her second time racing at nationals. As a freshman in 2016 she helped the Titans to a fourth-place team finish at the national championship, ironically also held in Louisville.
“I am really excited and its very gratifying that all my work has paid off,” Keene said. “I couldn’t think of a better way to end my cross country career than to go to nationals.”
It is the first appearance at the national championship for Lohrenz, who wasn’t expecting to earn an individual berth.
“I wasn’t really expecting it, but I am really excited and I think it is really cool to go with the other two that made it,” Lohrenz said. “It will be a good experience.”
The men’s 8,000-meter race begins at 9:45 a.m. (CST) and the women’s 6,000-meter race at 10:45 a.m. (CST) from E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park.
NCAA.com Division III Men's Cross Country Website
NCAA.com Division III Women's Cross Country Website
2019 NCAA Division III Men's & Women's Cross Country Championship Website
2019 NCAA Division III Men's & Women's Cross Country Championship Program
Written by Liz Smith, UW-Oshkosh University Marketing & Communications