There are only two weeks left for the men’s cross country team until the WIAC Conference meet. That meet will determine who will go on to the NCAA Regionals and then Nationals. The WIAC Conference will be held in Colfax, the Blugolds home course.

“It’s big to have it at home,” sophomore Sean Gavigan said. “We’ve been looking forward to it for about a year, as soon as we found out where it was going to be.”

The team has a few more meets before then to get ready.

On Friday, they took part in the Midwest Short and Long Course Championship at the Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax.

“It was kinda nice to race at home,” sophomore Ben Schmiege said. “We know the whole course, which helps.”

There were two different races in the meet. One race was 5,000 meters and the other 8,000. The Blugold runners were given the choice to run either event.

For the runners that ran the 5,000, “it was a chance to freshen up,” Gavigan said.

There were many quality teams in the event, including Augustana, Ill., and St. Olaf, Minn.

In the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country Poll, Augustana is ranked 20th, and St. Olaf 22nd.

“It was a good chance to see where we are,” freshman Eric Jajtner said.

In the 5,000 meter race, St. Thomas, Minn, finished first with a score of 14. St. Olaf finished second with a 45, and Eau Claire third with a 57.

“We worked on getting out harder, and establishing position,” Schmiege said. “The guys did pretty well at that.”

Senior James Larson finished sixth overall, first for Eau Claire, with a time of 15:48. Sophomore Matthew Goertz finished 11th in 16:02, junior Nick Hardt 20th in 16:17, Schmiege 22nd in 16:18, and Jajtner 23rd in 16:21.

“We did decent,” Jajtner said. “We gave what we had. We can’t be disappointed in that.”

St. Olaf and Augustana tied for first in the 8,000 meter race. Eau Claire finished ninth.

Freshman Adam Condit was first for the Blugolds, ninth overall, with a time of 26:51.

Another meet with strong competition will be held this Saturday. That meet is the Jim Drews Invite in La Crosse.

In the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country Poll, La Crosse is the number one ranked team. Also competing will be Div. I teams UW-Madison and the University of Iowa.

“The size and competition will get us used to it for regionals and conference,” Gavigan said.