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St. Olaf to host major state, national cross-country events in November

By Elizabeth Child
October 28, 2002

St. Olaf College has been selected as the site for two major cross-country events this fall: the Minnesota State High School Cross Country meet, which was held Saturday, Nov. 2, for the 10th straight year at St. Olaf, and the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, Saturday, Nov. 23.

The campus's 300 acres, and connecting 750 acres of rolling landscape owned by St. Olaf, make the college an ideal place for cross-country running. St.. Olaf was first selected as the site for the Minnesota state meet following the "Halloween blizzard" of 1991. After the big storm dumped more than 28 inches of snow on the Twin Cities area, St. Olaf offered its facilities with a promise to plow the course if ever another storm occurred. Since 1992, St. Olaf has been the sole venue for the meet, even though no other such blizzard has hampered the event.

Five hundred male and female runners competed at this year's state meet, enjoying a temperate fall day of sunshine and 45 degrees.

NCAA Selects St. Olaf College
A total of 530 men and women cross-country runners will also compete at St. Olaf College in the NCAA Division III Championships, to be held for the first time at the campus. That meet begins Saturday, Nov. 23, at 11 a.m. with the men's 8K, followed by the women's 6K at noon.

"St. Olaf was selected to host the NCAA finals because it has an excellent 'true' cross country course with hills and lots of character," says Dr. Bill Taraschke, chairman of the NCAA Track and Field Subcommittee. "St. Olaf also has facilities to host all events included in the NCAA meet right on campus.

"And, finally," he adds, "Chris Daymont [St. Olaf women's cross country coach] has a reputation for running a very well-organized competition."

St. Olaf Athletic Director and athletics department chair Cindy Book is NCAA Cross Country tournament director.

Potential Site of NCAA Indoor Track Championships
The national championship will provide a chance for teams to preview the new Tostrud Center recreation facility on the St. Olaf campus, the site currently in the running for future NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship events. Tostrud Center is a 95,000-square-foot athletic facility featuring a 200-meter indoor track, and a 45-foot rock-climbing wall.

The state-of-the-art recreation center opened this past September and was made possible thanks to a $12 million gift from Jerry '60 and Alleen Christian '61 Tostrud to the college. It is designed to promote life-long health, recreation and fitness.

Media Passes
Media covering the NCAA meet are asked to check in at Tostrud Center. Phone lines for laptop hookups and other technology will be available for media. If you are a journalist who would like to cover the national cross-country championships, contact Amy Gage, director of communications, St. Olaf College, 507-646-3316, 952-290-4466 cell or amygage@stolaf.edu.

St. Olaf College, a national leader among liberal arts institutions, fosters the development of mind, body and spirit. It is a residential college in Northfield, Minn., and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college provides personalized instruction and diverse learning environments, with nearly two-thirds of its students participating in international studies.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.