One team that certainly has an excellent shot at advancing onto the NCAA Division III National Championships in Wisconsin is the Christopher Newport University men\'s team. The CNU men are currently ranked number one in the regional rankings heading into the meet. The Captains return a handful of runners from last year\'s second place regional squad. In this year\'s meet, a second place finish will earn teams a trip to the national championships as the Emory men finished in the top 16 at last year\'s national race to earn the region an additional at-large bid for this year. The CNU men have been led all season by the underclassmen duo of Cary Chaffee and Jay Wyss. Chaffee, a returning All-Region performer (2003-15th), has had a strong sophomore follow season, which includes a season best time of 25:47 at the Mason-Dixon Conference Championships. Wyss, CNU\'s top freshmen, has a season best time of 25:52 as he was the top finishing freshmen at the Mason-Dixon meet. The remaining CNU lineup is composed of a mix of underclassmen and seniors. CNU returns two All-Region performers from a year ago in seniors Jimi Highsmith (2003-13th) and David Baer (2003-23rd). Highsmith was also a NCAA Nationals qualifier two years ago and has a season best time of 26:22. Baer is also a two-time All-Region performer. However, a talented group of underclassmen dominates the CNU squad along with Chaffee and Wyss as sophomores David Barham and Tim Scott and freshmen Daniel Swale have been consistent top performers for the Captains this fall. Scott (26:32 PR) just missed All-Region honors (32nd) last year as a freshmen, while this Saturday will be the first regional race for both Barham (26:06 PR) and (26:11 PR). CNU\'s greatest strength against their regional competitors is a tightly packed top five. If this pack can hold together, the CNU men should be able to punch their ticket to their first NCAA National Championships in 10 years.
Two teams that appear to be CNU\'s biggest challengers in taking one of those two spots for nationals are defending champs Emory and Centre College (KY). Emory University has not looked in impressive as in years past as they are the five time defending regional champions. They were defeated in their season opener by regional rival Centre and have been shaky throughout the season. Finishing sixth in their conference meet (UAA), a conference in which they finished a strong third in last fall, was certainly not a promising sign as their final meet heading into the regional meet. However, Emory has a tradition to rise above the competition come regionals time and will not be taken granted for this sole reason. Emory is led by senior Andrew Podgurski (2003-4th), who is one of the favorites for the individual regional crown. Owen Farcy (2003-19th, an All-Region performer a year ago as Emory\'s fifth man, is expected to guide with Podurski an Emory team filled with regional championship newbies.
Centre, a team which finished sixth at last year\'s regional meet, has really improved its team over the past year as it finds itself unbeaten against regional competition and holds a victory this season already over the defending champs. Centre only returns one All-Region performer from last year\'s team in junior Mark Noll (2003-17th). However, sophomore Eric Hack, junior Jeff Briggs, sophomore Anthony Lippert, sophomore Andy Newsome, and senior Matt Lally all have regional meet experience. Freshmen Nate Blank has made an instant contribution to the squad as well with a sub 26 clocking to his credit.
Of any team from the state of Virginia that stands a chance at cracking the top two and advancing onto the NCAA Division III National Championships that one team has to be Washington & Lee University. Washington & Lee is another team that has yet to be defeated by regional competition and won the ODAC championship title over state rivals Roanoke College and Lynchburg College. The Generals are led by the best Division III runner in the state, Nathan Johnson. Johnson, a transfer from William & Mary (never ran competitively at W&M), has emerged onto the state Division III scene in impressive fashion. Johnson was a race champion at the Virginia DII/III (Unofficial) State Meet and ODAC Championships. Washington & Lee has a blend of experienced and young talent. Senior Wes Bell, who studied abroad last fall, was an All-Region performer two years ago. Steve Chambers, a senior, finished 30th at last year\'s regional meet. Freshmen Alex Mahoney was the ODAC individual runner-up behind teammate Johnson and freshmen Andrew Friski has ran in the Washington & Lee top seven all season long. The big question mark is if freshmen Tom Brower will be racing at the regional meet as Brower has not raced since last September. Brower was running number two for the Generals at that point in the season. If any team is being taken too lightly by the regional competition it is Washington & Lee who could be a spoiler and finish among the top two teams.
University of Mary Washington and Lynchburg College are two squads that have potential to finish high in the team standings at regionals.
Mary Washington is coming off winning the conference title at the CAC championship meet over Salisbury University, a team that defeated Mary Washington two weeks prior at the Mason-Dixon meet and challenged CNU. The Eagles have a strong front three in Todd Kronenberg, Matt Kirk, and Justin Kirk. Kronenberg has had a breakthrough fall season of cross country and should have a strong chance at snabbing one of the individual national qualifying places. Kronenberg was the race champion at the Mason-Dixon Championships and CAC Championships as he ran a personal best of 25:33, which is the fastest time posted by any Virginia Division III runner this season. Kirk, an All-Region performer (2003-12th) from a year ago, is looking to improve upon his performance from last year. Kirk, a junior transfer, has been a strong addition to the team\'s lineup in the number three spot.
Lynchburg College is a squad that appeared to be CNU\'s biggest challenger in-state during the regular season, but has been shaky down the homestretch. Injuries and poor races have plagued the Hornets as of late. Star freshmen Travis Wray suffered a season ending injury on what was already a thin Lynchburg line-up. Top runner Brian Flynn, a NCAA National qualifier last year, blew up at the ODAC Championships with a 30:13 clocking. Flynn had posted a 25:59 clocking at the Paul Short Invitational and beat the likes of Wyss and Chaffee. If Flynn can return to that form and the rest of his freshmen dominated Lynchburg squad reverse the trend of their late season trump, the Hornets are a team to look out for.
It would take a complete disaster for the Emory University women to not repeat as regional champions as their team has never looked better. The Emory women are currently ranked 17th in the entire nation and are competing on a whole other level than the rest of the regional competition. Defending individual champion Phyliss Tuggle of Agnes-Scott (GA), an All-American from a year ago, is also looking virtually unstoppable heading into this weekend\'s race. However, that goes without mentioning that there are Virginia schools and individuals who could have strong showings at the regional meet.
Last year\'s regional runners-up to Emory, CNU, will be hard pressed to duplicate that performance with a very thin lineup. The Lady Captains took a heavy blow with a season ending injury to freshmen star Bridgett Dryer, who had been running as high as number two on the squad. A team that still had a tough time finding five runners to form a formidable scoring five could not afford the loss of Dryer. However, the team will have to manage with three individuals returning with All-Region honors. Juniors Emily Low (2003-11th) and Megan Fogarty (2003-13th) and sophomore Ashley Ezell (2003-17th) all have legitimate chances to earn one of the five individual national spots. It seems pretty given that Tuggle and Centre sophomore and 2003 All-American Eileen Schilling should take two of those five spots, but junior Emily Low stands an excellent chance at qualifying individually for the national meet. Emily Low recently broke the school record 6K mark held by four-time NCAA Nationals qualifier Aimee Gibbs when she won the Mason-Dixon Conference title in a time of 21:51. Ezell has also been on a tear herself lately as she finished second to Low at the Mason-Dixon meet with a personal best time of 22:29. Fogarty was the third place finisher at Mason-Dixon with a time of 22:36. Elizabeth Browning and Crystal Pruitt will be counted on to have big races at the regional meet for the CNU women to have hopes of repeating a second place effort. The CNU women are currently ranked fourth in the region.
Ranked fifth in the region is the Mary Washington women. The UMW women have faced CNU twice this season and each encounter the CNU women came out on top, but the CNU women had Dryer racing on both occassions. The UMW clearly have the superior depth to the CNU women, but lack the front running power that CNU has in Low, Ezell, and Fogarty. Freshmen Christina Falcone, the CAC individual champion, stands the best chance at breaking up the CNU trio as she finished fourth behind the three runners at Mason-Dixon. It is uncertain who will comprise the remaining top seven for the Lady Eagles as runners have bounced in and out of the lineup all season. Two of Mary Washington\'s top runners, Joanna Long and Erin Connelly, did not race against CNU at Mason-Dixon, but then re-appeared to compete at the CAC Championships. Freshmen Ann Tripp and Sarah Ellis have been solid contributions to the team as both earned All-Conference honors at Mason-Dixon honors. With the three talented freshmen in Falcone, Tripp, and Ellis and experience on their side with Long and Connelly, the Mary Washington women may have the right formula to perform well at regionals. The Mary Washington women finished sixth at the regional meet last year.
Last year\'s eighth place finishing team at the regional meet and this year\'s ODAC champions, Washington & Lee University, is a squad that could make headwaves on Saturday. The squad is led by quite possibly the best freshmen in the region in Lindsay Erickson. Erickson won the ODAC conference title and figures to be in contention for a NCAA Nationals qualifying spot individually. While no member of this year\'s squad returns with All-Region credentials, the talent found on this squad should be able to earn an honor or two in this year\'s race. Junior Tippins Stone has a strong season as she was the ODAC individual runner-up behind teammate Erickson. Freshmen Kelley Zwart and juniors Betsy Frayer, Jenny Ratzel, and Debra Kubas provide Erickson and Stone with plenty of support.