Contact: Lou Groce, Director of Media and Information, 920-229-8157

GRINNELL, Iowa – Beloit College will serve as the host of the 2016 Midwest Conference Men’s Cross Country Championship on Saturday, where Lawrence University and Lake Forest College will attempt to dethrone Grinnell College. 

The Pioneers have won four straight MWC titles and are the favorites to win their fifth this weekend.  All-MWC Performer Anthony McLean, who finished second in the league at last year’s meet, will be in the hunt for the individual crown this weekend.  McLean ran a 26:00.00 at the Brissman-Lundeen Invitational earlier this season.  John Lennon just missed all-conference honors last fall with a 21^st-place finish and has the fifth-best time in the conference entering the weekend.  Freshman Jackson Schulte is projected to produce a top-10 performance in his first championship meet. All-MWC performer Matthew McCarthy should be expected to provide a solid performance for the Pioneers.  Nate Crail and Gray Krewson will also be counted on for the defending champions. 

Lawrence’s Josh Janusiak has been the top runner in the league for the entire season as he has earned the Performer of the Week award three times.  The sophomore is the top seed in this weekend’s race and will need to run as such if the Vikings want to knock off Grinnell.  Freshman Joe Kortenhof has been a big addition to the lineup and is seeded third this weekend.  He finished just eight seconds behind McLean at the Brissman-Lundeen Invite.  Sophomore Ben Schaefer and senior veteran Max Edwards will need to have big afternoons for Lawrence and freshman Mik Patel could be the last piece to the puzzle. 

Lake Forest returns three of their four All-MWC runners from last season in Jonathan Stern, Jorge Villanueva, and Sintayehu Regassa.  Christian Aldana has burst onto the scene this fall for the Foresters and ran the fourth-best time in the conference so far this fall.  Philip Wilson, Steve Auman and Alphonse Wilson, who are ranked 19^th-21^st, respectively, give the Foresters superior depth and with Aldana in contention for the individual title, Lake Forest should be a significant factor in the championship race. 

Monmouth College’s Cooper Pauley is coming off a great performance two weeks ago at Bradley University and enters the weekend the sixth-rated runner.  Sophomore Tate Heiple and Bryent Van De Wostine will also be in the hunt for all-conference medals as the Fighting Scots should improve from their seventh-place finish last fall. 

Cornell College is also hoping to improve on their fifth-place finish from last season.  The Rams have some strong runners at the top of their lineup, but depth could become an issue.  Sophomore Caleb Wilson, Cuyler Gabriel and Austin Bach should all leave Beloit with an all-conference medal. 

Beloit College has two All-MWC threats including Alberto Torres, who finished fifth at last season’s MWC Championship.  Sophomore Daniel Arkes ran the 13^th-best time in the conference in early October at Benedictine University.

St. Norbert College’s Riley Boyce, who earned MWC Performer of the Week honors twice this season leads the Green Knight charge.  Boyce is seeded 11^th in the meet after finishing in 17^th last October.  Ripon College freshman Jarek Kish is hoping to run a great race in his first MWC Championship meet and is within striking distance for all-conference honors. 

The men’s race will open the action at The Beloit Club on Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m., while the women’s race will follow at 12:00 p.m.