After finishing fifth at their home meet this past Friday, the men’s cross country team is preparing for their next meet, the Olivet Nazarene Invitational, in Bourbonnais, Illinois this Friday.
The team will be running at 5:45 p.m.
Captain and senior Steve Lavelle said this meet wil have optimal conditions for the team.
“I think we’ll do a lot better than we did last weekend,” Lavelle said. “Olivet Nazarene will be a perfect meet with perfect conditions and everyone running healthy. We’ll be going full throttle.”
Last year, the Vikings won the meet, which is an 8k race, with a top five collective team time of 2:08:45.9. Senior Tanner Osing was part of the top five times, finishing third for the team.
The Vikings are hoping to use the momentum they’ve garnered this year as they have yet to place outside of the top five in their first four races this season.
Members of the team, such as sophomore Brandon Wilkerson, are looking to use this meet towards the hope of earning another bid to nationals after last years 20th place finish.
“Our team goal is to make it back to nationals. All of us have that mindset and we believe that we’re on the right track” said Wilkerson.
This past weekend, the Vikings were led by Osing who had a 25:36.6, which landed him a tenth place finish. Augustana’s top five included Osing as well as junior Mitchell Johnson, senior Stephen Lavelle and sophomores Brandon Wilkerson and Rob Williams.
The team finished fifth overall in the field of twenty-one during the blue race with a score of 173 points. The men’s races were divided into two races: the blue and gold divisions.
The Vikings look to use that fifth place finish, which led them to victory over the Olivet Nazarene University’s men’s cross country team at the Brissman-Lundeen Invitational as the Tigers finished eighth with 247 points, during the meet this weekend.