AU men fighting elements at cross-country national championships

Staff report

The Augusta University men have been dealing with freezing weather and snow as they prepare for the NCAA Division II cross-country championships today (Dec. 2) at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Wash.

The men’s 10-kilometer race will start 1 p.m. (EST).

In addition to the cold weather in the northwest part of the country, several of the Jaguars came down with the flu late last week.

First-year AU Coach Jacob Burgamy thinks the muck and mire at the race course may be to the Jaguars’ advantage.

"The snow and rain over the past couple of days has made the course into a bit of a mess, which will be a great equalizer in the morning,” he said after practice on Dec. 1. “Our one through five spread may be a little wider than normal because of it, but conditions like this typically benefit the grittier, more strength-based teams, which is what we pride ourselves on being. So we like to think that this will be a benefit to us."

AU is led by seniors Kai Brickey and Hans Troyer. Brickey ran solo in last year’s nationals in Florida after the Jaguars just missing making the championship meet by a single point in the regionals.

Also running in Washington are Avery Jaynes, Patrick Motes, Thomas Rischar, Carlos Rodriguez and Andrew Todd. The top five will score.

The Jaguars, who finished second in the regional in North Carolina last month, are four-time defending Peach Belt Conference champions, having won with a perfect score at Beech Island, S.C., last month.

The AU men were last in the national championships in 2019, finishing a program-best ninth. This is the fifth time Augusta has been in the nationals as a team in 10 years.

Follow the race at the link below:

NCAA champships (live)<————

Friday’s national championship race will be the last for AU senior Kai Brickey (R), who graduates in two weeks. At the top of page, Brickey and his teammates won the Peach Belt Conference championship with a perfect score of 15 at Beech Island, S.C., on Nov. 5. (staff photos)