Harper cross country teams take top spot in national poll
Despite having only raced twice this season, the cross country teams from Harper College were well represented in Wednesday's first set of U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) polls.
Both the Harper men and women checked in at the top spot in Division III.
"The kids are excited - they are number one," Harper coach Jim Macnider said in a release on the school's website.
The news is especially good for the women's program, which finished second in the nation in 2014 but had struggled to field a full team in previous seasons.
Last week, the Harper men finished eighth at the Aurora University Spartan Cross Country Classic at Oakhurst Forest Preserve. The Hawks finished second among the junior college teams competing, behind only Waubonsee Community College.
Sophomore Adam Brauer (Palatine) placed second in 26:59, T.J. Paton finished 43rd and freshman Eddie Lamas (Schaumburg) was 74th.
The men's team placed three runners in the top-10 at the season-opening Waubonsee Invite and took third place as a team at the meet.
• After starting the women's volleyball season ranked No. 7 nationally, Harper has risen to the top spot in the national poll.
The Hawks enter Thursday's road matchup at Rock Valley with a 12-4 record, having topped ranked foes Madison Area Technical College, and Rochester and Community and Technical College.
• Before last Saturday's 2-2 tie with Rock Valley College, the Hawks men's soccer team had won three of its last four games. The only blemish in that span was a goal-less draw against College of Lake County.
Harper is flexing its muscle in North Central Community College Conference play, where the Hawks were 3-0-1 before Wednesday's match against Milwaukee Area Technical College.
Through the first five games of the season, the Hawks had scored 10 goals and allowed 5.
Goalkeeper Jacob Goldstein has a 1.02 GAA. Midfielder Tafara Musiwa scored both goals against Rock Valley, with Hoffman Estates alum Angel Sarti and Wheeling product Freddie Diaz getting assists.