Four DIII Conference Races To Watch This Weekend

NEW ORLEANS – The postseason is upon us in NCAA Division III Cross Country and this weekend, 43 conferences will hold their championships meets.

Now, we know that’s a lot of conference championships to sift through so we’ll help you out. We’ll break down two on each side – men’s and women’s – that could affect the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches’ Poll when it comes out next Wednesday.

Men’s Races

New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC)

There will be five ranked men’s teams in the field here – No. 2 Williams, No. 5 Amherst, No. 19 Bates, No. 29 Wesleyan (Conn.) and No. 31 Tufts – as well as two others who received votes in the latest poll – Colby and Hamilton.

The title will most likely go to either Amherst or Williams – and based on what happened two weeks ago at the Little 3 Championship, we could be in for a treat. The Ephs edged the Lord Jeffs 27-32 and took over their No. 2 spot in the poll.

Fans should also see a duel between Amherst’s Mohamed Hussein and Williams’ Bijan Mazaheri. Hussein earned the win on Oct. 17 when he beat Mazaheri by four seconds.

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC)

It’s not difficult to know why this meet is important. The WIAC is home to UW-Eau Claire, the current No. 1 men’s team in the nation – not to mention No. 8 UW-La Crosse, No. 11 UW-Stevens Point and No. 20 UW-Oshkosh.

At the AAE Invitational two weeks ago, which also served as the Pre-National Invitational for Division III, the Blugolds won by a large margin but the Pointers put themselves on the national radar thanks to a fourth-place finish. The Eagles weren’t in the mix as they hosted the Jim Drews Invitational and finished fourth.

Look for UW-Eau Claire to win the title, but UW-La Crosse and UW-Stevens Point will definitely have their say before the dust settles.

It’s likely going to be a two-man race for the individual title between UW-Eau Claire’s Josh Thorson and UW-Platteville’s Ian LaMere. Thorson won the last meeting between them at the AAE Invitational when he beat LaMere to the finish line by seven seconds.

Women’s Races

University Athletic Association (UAA)

There is no bigger gathering of ranked Division III women’s teams this weekend than what will congregate in Waltham, Massachusetts. In total, there will be six ranked teams from the latest National Coaches’ Poll in action – No. 5 Washington (Mo.), No. 10 University of Chicago, No. 14 Emory, No. 21 Brandeis University, No. 25 University of Rochester (N.Y.) and No. 35 Carnegie Mellon.

The Bears should make quick work of the field, but it will be interesting to see how the rest shake out. All of those others teams are nestled right around each other in the latest poll and if either the Judges or Yellow Jackets make a strong move, they’ll jump a lot.

Individually, it’s anybody’s race as Washington (Mo.)’s Ellen Toennies, Chicago’s Khia Kurtenbach and Brandeis’ Emily Bryson could all win if they have a good race.

New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC)

When there are three top-10 teams in one conference and that it’s Championship Saturday, you take notice. Such is the case of the NESCAC, where No. 2 Williams, No. 4 Tufts, No. 7 Middlebury and No. 32 Colby will all be in action.

Last year the title went to the Panthers, who topped the Ephs by nine points. That was Middlebury’s second consecutive conference title. Based off what happened at the Little 3 Championships and how good Williams looked there (swept 1-5), there is reason to believe it’s going to be even closer in 2015. Don’t count out the Jumbos either.

The individual race should come down to Williams’ Lacey Serletti, Tuft’s Audrey Gould, Colby’s Alanna McDonough and Middlebury’s Abigail Nadler.