April 10, 2006                                                               

 SMC to Host NJCAA Nationals

Milliken Research Park to be the Course

SPARTANBURG, S.C. –  The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has selected Spartanburg as the site for their national cross country championship in 2008 and 2010. 

Instrumental in making a bid for the event were Eric Cummings (Spartanburg Methodist College Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach), Jules Bryant (Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau) and Jack Todd ( S.C.School for the Deaf and Blind and Team Spartanburg), with help from Mike Ponder and Mike Baird (Milliken). NJCAA officials were impressed when they visited the 660-acre Milliken Research Park, according to Mark Perdue, SMC Athletic Director.

The Milliken site, situated adjacent to Interstates Business 85 and 585, has been a venue for several cross country meets, including the 2000-2006 Eye Opener, the 1995 NCAA Division II National Championships, the NCAA All-South Region Championships in 2004 and 2005, the 1999 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, the Spartanburg County Championships, the Region 2-4A Championships, Milliken’s Corporate Earth Run Race, and the 2006 CVAC Championships hosted by Converse College.

Perdue commented that Spartanburg has been building its reputation for hosting national events after hosting its first NJCAA National Half Marathon this past November, in which 110 runners from across the nation completed a course that ran through the city of Spartanburg. Future Half Marathons are planned for 2007 and 2009.

Cummings estimates that the NJCAA Nationals will bring approximately 400 runners from across the nation. During previous years, the Nationals have been held at sites across the U.S. including Levelland, Texas, Lawrence, Kansas and El Paso, Texas.