Lights will run in Michigan

The Montana State University-Northern men's cross country team received votes in this week's NAIA Coaches Poll. And that rise in the ranks has prompted head coach Chad Spangler to take the Lights on a new adventure.

Northern will attend a big, NAIA meet in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Lights are currently ranked third in the Frontier Conference behind Lewis-Clark State College and Rocky Mountain College.

"Looking at performances in the midwest where a lot of the nationally ranked teams are, I just think we can compete with them," Spangler said. "If we go out there and upset a couple of the currently ranked teams, I think the NAIA raters have to give us a pretty hard look. It’s going to be a low-budget, quick trip, but I really think the guys deserve the opportunity."

The top six Lights will compete as a team at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge in Grand Rapids Saturday. There will be over 25 teams in the field.

The Lights and Skylights will head to Billings for the Frontier Conference Championships Nov. 8.