PARKLAND – Brad Hodkinson will cap a historic freshman campaign this weekend, as he will represent the Pacific Lutheran men's cross country team at the NCAA Div. III Cross Country Championships Saturday in Winneconne, Wisc.
Hodkinson is the first Lute to race at the national meet since Alan DenAdel in 2011 and only the second Lute national qualifier since 2002. He'll run the men's 8k at 12 p.m. CST at Lake Breeze Golf Club, as the meet is hosting by University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
"I am blessed to get the opportunity to go to the national meet to represent my school," Hodkinson said. "I am excited for the road ahead for our team next year as we grow in numbers and prepare to become a national-caliber team."
With two meet victories and a pair of Northwest Conference Runner of the Week honors already, Hodkinson has put together one of the best seasons for a men's cross country runner in PLU's NCAA Div. III era in only his freshman season. He earned first-team All-Northwest Conference and All-West Region honors and now has a chance to add to his list of accomplishments in 2015.
"The time is nigh for Brad to dig deep," PLU head coach Heather Kreier said. "He has an opportunity to earn All-America honors, and he will need to run smart on Saturday. He is an exceptional talent who has only begun to show his abilities. Post-regionals, I told him, 'Why not bring home some hardware, too?' as the top 15 runners get awards."
Thirty-two teams plus 56 individuals qualified for the national meet, establishing a field of nearly 300 runners. Each of the Lutes' last two national qualifiers finished just out of the top-200. With the opportunity to run at the national level in his first season, Kreier has high hopes for Hodkinson's future after Saturday's season-ending race.
"No matter the outcome, he will learn so much this first year," Kreier said. "I am so proud of his start and looking forward to continuing his development as an elite athlete."