Kleinsasser prepares to face National field

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Nov. 19, 2009) – For the second time in as many years Eric Kleinsasser is taking a trip to the NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships to compete against the best runners in the country.

The two-time Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Runner of the Year and 2009 West Region runner-up is ready for the challenge of the cooler, damper conditions that he will face at the Highland Park Golf Course in Highland Hills, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 9:00 a.m. (PST), noon in Ohio.

“The location this year is great,” Kleinsasser shared. “I had a chance to see where the course is and it looks like it will be a fun one to run. There are some rolling hills and the ground is a little wet; pretty much ideal for Cross Country.”

With rain in the forecast, the wet weather is not going to be an issue for the sophomore. The temperature will not be Southern California-esque, either, but with an extended warm-up, Kleinsasser is will be prepared and should be ready to go both physically and mentally.

“Although the course might be a little rough on Saturday if it does rain, I have to keep in mind that the course is the same for everyone.”

The race will take place on a similar stage to last weekend at the Regional meet where the best from the West met at Pomona-Pitzer to run the 8K course. This week will not only be a race for a Top-35 finish, but Kleinsasser may have some unfinished business to settle as well. After being edged out in the final straight-away at the West Region meet, finishing second by 16 hundredths of a second, he will have that chance on Saturday.

“I am glad to have the opportunity to match up with Jackson [Brainerd] again this weekend. Overall, though, with a large, competitive field, the race should be pretty interesting and I want to focus on finding the right race and positioning myself early on.”

As the top runners gather and fight for the top spot, the Top-35 finishers will secure All-American status, a realistic goal for Kleinsasser.

“Eric's training has been focused on this part of the season all year and I believe all of his hard work will pay off on Saturday,” said head coach Rob Bartlett. “Our goal is for Eric to place in the top 35 and become an All-American for the first time.”

Joining Kleinsasser running as individuals from the west are Ray Ostrander (Cal Lutheran), the only other SCIAC individual runner, Francis Reynolds (Puget Sound), Shawn Fisher (Linfield), Aaron Jenkins (Whitworth), Nicholas Gallagher (Whitworth) and Karl Dickman (Lewis & Clark).

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Willamette (OR) University and Colorado College will each have their men's teams competing in the meet representing the west.

Baldwin-Wallace College will play host to the 2009 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 21 at Highland Park Golf Course in Highland Hills. They will have results and meet previews available on their championship site.