They get to run: MSU-N cross country teams charge into fall

It's going to be a quiet fall in the Frontier Conference, and for much of the NAIA for that matter. But, not for the Montana State University-Northern cross country teams.

Though the NAIA moved the 2020 cross country national championships to next spring, the Frontier is going forward with its fall season, and for Northern head coach Chad Spangler, and the Lights and Skylights, that fall starts Friday morning in Havre.

Northern plays host to the Frontier Conference Preview Meet at Prairie Farms Golf Course, and the meet marks the start of a five-week season where meets are held every other week.

"I think the team is grateful, more than anything, that they are competing this fall," Spangler said. "Burnout was a real issue this summer because they were training for an unknown. I suspect this was true for a lot of sports, but I know that the runners I communicated with this summer really struggled to maintain their training plan. Distance training is not immediately gratifying, nor is it socially rewarding. Rather, it is a frequently difficult and very individual experience that is fueled exclusively by the anticipation of an upcoming race. When that upcoming race disappears or becomes questionable, training motivation is seriously jeopardized - the consistency and intensity really suffers. That weighed heavy on my mind this summer as I encouraged the men and women to stick with their training despite the rumors and speculation that they might be training for nothing.

"As team training started a couple weeks ago, it was clear that Field (Soosloff), Allie (Tigert), and many of their teammates found a way to be optimistic and trained through the uncertainty," he continued. "Others were less prepared, but now that we're finally here and the first meet has become more concrete, the training effort has been great and the collective attitude of the team is really positive. They are very excited to compete."

The Lights and Skylights are excited and poised for a strong season.

The Northern women were strong a year ago, led by Tiegert, who qualified for the 2019 NAIA national championships. Tigert returns for her sophomore season, along with juniors Raini Johnson, Kaylee Nystrom and Grace Schwenk.

"The Skylights are going to be a small team this year. We only lost two seniors last year, but another runner chose to not return and a new runner had a change of heart," Spangler said. "Because of the smaller size, the women's team will be more focused on individual efforts compared to team scores. I think that at least three of the women's team have great shots at all-conference honors and national championship berths. Allie Tigert showed up ready to compete - she trained very hard this summer and wants another shot at the national meet. I think the size and competition-level at nationals surprised her a little bit last year, and I know she wants to get back there for another shot. She is poised to have great season and is capable of competing for top honors in the conference, no question. Grace Schwenk also had a productive summer and looks really strong right now. Kaylee Nystrom is always dangerous just because she has such a tough, competitive edge. Raini Jonson is returning for her third season and will leverage her experience and maturity. Raini has been a runner for a long time and is a very cerebral athlete."

While the MSU-N women are short on numbers, the Lights return a bulk of last year's roster, and many of them are experienced and talented runners. Senior Kai Krumwiede, juniors Liam Base-Terry, Eddie Harmon and Soosloff and sophomores Dan Kirwa and Gabriel Strader make up the tough and competitive Northern men's team.

"On the men's side, we are returning a veteran crew with a chip on their shoulder. The men's team is still bitter about how their season ended last year. The men's team peaked in early October last year and started get votes in the Top 25. We thought if we could get into a large meet where we could beat a nationally ranked team, we get earn a spot at the national meet for the first time in our short history. So, we rented a Chevy Trailblazer and drove through the night to Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was a great competitive experience for the men, but it was a tough trip that ultimately left many of the guys sick going into the last meet of the year. We really folded at the conference meet and the guys have put that on the shoulders," Spangler said. "They are out to redeem themselves this season and they are more than capable."

Indeed. Both Northern teams are capable this season, a season which starts and ends in Havre. Not only does Northern host the Preview Meet Friday, but Havre will also be the sight of the Frontier Conference Championships Nov. 6.

"Hosting the preview meet this week and the championship meet in November is a great opportunity," Spangler said. "I've always had a lot of pride in our community, so I love the opportunity to highlight our town. It's also a big advantage to host in our sport. Our athlete's will be able to get good sleep and be able to stay loose going into the race - it is so tough to sit on a bus for five hours, then get off and race. So, we're happy to host. It's so much better for our athletes. It is unfortunate that we can't make it a bigger event. I wish we could invite the community to come support the athletes and see the races - it's really fun to watch and the athletes love to feel supported in their sport. So that's unfortunate. But, maybe by November, things will improve and we can introduce the community to Frontier Conference running - it's pretty impressive."

The Lights and Skylights will host Carroll College, Rocky Mountain College, Montana Western and Montana Tech in the annual Frontier Preview Cross Country Meet Friday afternoon on the Prairie Farms Golf Course.