The Saint John’s University football team has advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the eighth-straight season.
Meanwhile, College of Saint Benedict junior Fiona Smith and SJU junior Lloyd Young are each headed back to the Division III national cross country meet for the second year in a row.
Smith, who finished fifth at the national meet last season, earned her return trip by winning her second-straight North Regional title in a school-record time of 20 minutes and 51.6 seconds in competition this past Saturday (Nov. 12) at St. Olaf College in Northfield.
Smith has now also placed first at the MIAC Championships the past two seasons, making her the first runner to do that at the conference and regional level in program history.
She will be attempting to earn All-American distinction for the seventh time in either cross country or track and field when the women’s race begins at 10 a.m. (CST) at the Forest Akers East Golf Course on the Michigan State University campus in Lansing, Michigan this Saturday (Nov. 19).
Young finished 10th out of 209 runners in a time of 24:53 in the men’s race at regions last Saturday, but found out Monday he had earned an at-large bid to the national meet for the second-straight season.
The men’s race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. (CST) this Saturday. Young finished 52nd at the national meet a year ago.
The Johnnie football team – which defeated Bethel 28-10 in the MIAC Championship Game last Saturday at Clemens Stadium – received one of four top seeds in the 32-team Division III playoff field when the pairings were announced Sunday afternoon.
SJU (9-1) will play host to Upper Midwest Athletic Conference champion Northwestern (Minnesota) (6-4) in a first-round matchup at noon this Saturday at Clemens Stadium.
A ticket must be purchased by each patron to gain admittance to Saturday’s game. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $4 for ages 5-college (w/college ID). SJU season-ticket holders own the rights to the reserved seat/s, but must still purchase a ticket to the game. SJU (game/season) or MIAC passes are invalid for NCAA games.
The gates to Clemens Stadium will open at 10 a.m., two hours prior to kickoff. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.gojohnnies.com/tickets.
The winner Saturday will meet the winner between Wisconsin-La Crosse (9-1) and Wartburg (Iowa) (10-0) in the second round at noon on Nov. 26.
Should the Johnnies win, that game would also be played in Collegeville.
The Saint John’s University football team defeated Bethel 28-10 on Saturday to win the MIAC football championship.
Fiona Smith
Lloyd Young