[Cross Country] Mustangs all set for nationals

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- The Mount Mercy men's cross country team and three women's individual qualifiers headed to the west coast on Wednesday, and after a practice on the course they'll run this weekend, are ready to go for the 2011 NAIA Cross Country National Championships.

The 56th Annual Men's and 32nd Annual Women's Cross Country National Championships are set for Saturday at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. For the third straight year, the championships are hosted by the Cascade Collegiate Conference and Concordia-Portland (Ore.). The men's 8K race will start at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, followed by the women's 5K at approximately 1:45 p.m.

Mount Mercy is one of 32 teams in the men's field, which includes defending national champion Southern Oregon. Two national champions, Kennedy Kithuka of Wayland Baptist (Texas) and Silas Kisorio of Oklahoma Christian, are among those competing for the individual title. Mustang senior Mike Miroux was Mount Mercy's top finisher last year, placing 150th out of 326 runners with a time of 27:37. The Mustangs were 31st in their national meet debut in 2010.

Mount Mercy senior Kara Danielsen is competing in her third straight national meet while sophomore Anne Bruno and junior Taylor Helms are first-time qualifiers for the Mustangs. Danielsen has twice been an individual qualifier and competed with her teammates at the 2009 national championships. After placing 167th in 2009, she finished 160th out of 331 runners last year with a time of 19:46.

Two of last year's top three individual finishers are back in this year's race, including runner-up Karlee Coffee of Eastern Oregon and third-place finisher Obsie Birru of Midwest Collegiate Conference rival Grand View. Birru was the MCC Harrier of the Year for the fourth consecutive season this fall.