EMU’s cross country teams are going with familiarity in 2014. Coach Jason Lewkowicz announced this fall’s schedule today, and his Royals have the potential to run in eight meets this year but on only five different courses.
The season starts with the traditional ODAC Preview meet, run on the same field as the ODAC Championships. Guilford College hosts in Greensboro, N.C., this year, with the Preview on Aug. 29 and the Championships on Nov. 1.
eastern mennonite is also hosting a pair of meets in the second year on their new home course in Elkton. The Royals co-host the Shenandoah Valley Invitational with Bridgewater on Sept. 20. On Oct. 10, they run a unique meet featuring just a handful of schools running in a relay set-up.
In another version of a preview, emu heads to Mason, Ohio, on Sept. 27 for the NCAA D-III Pre-Nationals. Wilmington College is hosting that meet, as well as the National Championships, which are Nov. 22.
The cross country teams also have a meet at Gettysburg on Oct. 18. The South/Southeast Regionals will be hosted by Berry College in Rome, Ga., on Nov. 15.
Lewkowicz said he is excited as he looks at the upcoming schedule.
“The focus is always on performing well at the end of the year and our mid-season trips to D-III Pre-Nationals and Gettysburg will help prepare us for the postseason,” he explained. “We are also excited to have two home meets with the return of the Shenandoah Valley Invitational and a small relay meet that takes place in October, both at our home course at the Elkton Community Center.”
Last year, the emu men finished fourth at ODACs and tenth in the region, while the women were second and seventh, respectively. Both squads landed two runners on the All-Region Team, while then-sophomore Hannah Chappell-Dick (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) earned her first trip to nationals.