CCC, Concordia Extend Agreement to Host NAIA Cross Country National Championships

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Thursday announced it has extended its agreement with the Cascade Collegiate Conference and Concordia University-Portland to co-host the NAIA Cross Country National Championships for a fourth consecutive year.

The one-year extension covers the 2012 event, which will be staged Nov. 17 at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Wash. The event is being co-hosted by the CCC and Concordia for a third consecutive year this November.

“We are delighted to extend our agreement with the NAIA for a fourth year,” said Dave Haglund, commissioner of the Cascade Collegiate Conference. “This is a tremendous event at a classic venue, and we appreciate the NAIA entrusting us as stewards of this championship. We look forward to continuing to provide an exceptional experience for more than 1,000 participants representing nearly 140 institutions across the U.S.”

In total, more than 750 student-athletes from the U.S. and Canada are expected to travel to the Portland-Vancouver area for a chance to compete for NAIA team and individual titles. The Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is a unique, historic and challenging competition venue that has previously served as the site for a number of world-class cross country championship events, including the USA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country National Championships and World Cross Country Trials.

“The Cascade Collegiate Conference and Concordia University continue to improve the event every year so we are pleased to extend our agreement for another year,” said Jim Carr, president and CEO of the NAIA. “Student-athletes are at the center of all we do in the NAIA, and our hosts in Portland certainly share that philosophy.”

A unique aspect to the championship weekend is a community outreach activity involving participating NAIA student-athletes and area teenagers.

“We look forward to furthering the positive impact in the Portland-Vancouver community, especially with youth in the area through the Champions of Character activities as part of the national championship festivities,” said Matt English, CU’s director of athletics.

Following the completion of the regular season, the top 32 men’s and 32 women’s teams plus individual qualifiers will compete in races covering 8,000 meters (men) and 5,000 meters (women).

The 2011 national championships are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 at Fort Vancouver. Race times are set for 10:30 a.m. PST (men) and 11:45 a.m. PST (women).