Athletics

Young. Old. Experienced. Inexperienced. Veteran. Youthful. Over the past decade it hasn't mattered what type of team Coach Bobby Van Allen has brought to the NCAA Division III cross country championships. This time, only one of the seven Blue Jays who ran on Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky, had ever competed in a national championship meet. Despite the lack of NCAA championship experience, the Blue Jays showed a combination of talent, grit, and resolve to capture their seventh national championship in nine seasons. The Blue Jays scored 130 points, just two points better than runner-up Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.