The Illinois Springfield men's cross country team heads to the NCAA DII Midwest Regional Championship on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Lewis Cross Country Course in Romeoville, Ill. The Prairie Stars will compete for a top-three finish to secure an automatic bid to nationals or aim for an at-large selection to continue their postseason run.

UIS placed fifth at last year's regional meet, narrowly missing an NCAA DII National Championship berth. The team last advanced in 2022, where they finished 6th nationally, the best performance in program history. UIS has maintained a position within the region's top 10 every year since 2018.

This year, the Prairie Stars bring a deep and experienced squad, headlined by Isaac Cortes, who earned All-GLVC honors with an 8th-place finish at the conference meet. Briar Nevills and Noah Tegeler are both seasoned seniors with recent all-conference accolades, while sophomore Joey Karlesky and GLVC Freshman of the Year Dom Cantarini add youthful energy to the lineup.

For the first time this season, the Prairie Stars will race a 10k, having previously run an 8k distance at each meet this year. The race will feature tough competition, including several top-25 nationally ranked teams. A strong performance will be crucial for the Prairie Stars to return to the NCAA Championship.

Latest Regional Coaches' Poll
 

Rank	Team (Conference)
1	Grand Valley State (GLIAC)
2	Lewis (GLVC)
3	Saginaw Valley State (GLIAC)
4	Hillsdale (GMAC)
5	Michigan Tech (GLIAC)
6	Findlay (GMAC)
7	Walsh (GMAC)
8	Drury (GLVC)
9	Illinois Springfield (GLVC)
10	Davenport (GLIAC)

Fan Information
The men's 10k race begins at 10:00 a.m., with live results and a livestream available. Parking passes are available for purchase through Lewis' Hometown Ticketing platform.