The UW-Stout men's cross country team will be living the dream this upcoming weekend, and so will two members of the UW-Stout women's cross country team

The Blue Devil men  have qualified to the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship, marking the first time in 28 years since the UW-Stout men's cross country program has qualified to a national championship meet.

And Kathleen Thorn and Jordan Kelch each have qualified to the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championship, marking the first time a Stout female runner has qualified to the national meet since 1998. The year 1998 was also special because that was the year UW-Stout Hall of Famers Katie Jacobson and Katy Olsen qualified to the meet together.

The meet is co-hosted by Wilmington College and the Warren County Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Golf Center at King's Island in Mason, Ohio. The men's race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., eastern time.

The Blue Devil men placed fifth at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Saturday at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, the team's best-ever finish at the regional meet. The top two teams automatically qualifiy and the NCAA announced the at-large team and indvidual bids today.

Six different Blue Devils set personal bests at the regional meet, led by Patrick Jenkin's (Sr, Cambridge) 10th place finish. Jenkins, along with Paul Van Grinsven (Sr, Little Chute) and Tony Cass (Jr, Hortonville), earned all-region honors. Also competing at the regional meet was Devin Sauvola (So, Eagle River), Jacob Olsen (Sr, Mendota Heights, Minn), David Linsmeyer (Sr, Mauston) and Gus Metzdorff (So, Minneapolis, Minn)

The last Blue Devil team to qualify to a national meet was the 1986 team that advanced to the NAIA Cross Country Championship that was held in Kenosha. The Blue Devils finished 25th as a team and Stout's Paul Bons, a member of the Blue Devil Hall of Fame, finished 38th individually. The Blue Devils qualified to the NAIA meet in 1982, 1983, and 1984, and also qualified to the NCAA Division III Championship in 1981.

"Being selected to the NCAA national meet to represent the Midwest Region is both rewarding and humbling for the team, program, athletic department, university, and community," said Blue Devil coach Matt Schauf.  "I'm very proud of and happy for this group of men for believing in each other, the program, and sticking with it through the ups and downs! I'm most proud of how we did it and who we did it with…a hodgepodge group of nobody's for the most part that have come together, followed the plan, worked hard in school and practice, and paid their dues."

"It seems only fitting that the program qualify two women since it had two representatives the last time the program qualified for the NCAA Championship Meet 16 years ago," Schauf said.

Thorn was considered a lock to earn a bid to the national championship after finishing eighth at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne Saturday.

Kelch's chances to qualifiy were considered a long-shot, after finishing 26th, still enough to earn all-region honors. The top two finishing teams at the regional automatically qualifiy. The NCAA announced the at-large bids today, and took six teams from the Midwest Region. The top seven individuals who are not part of the qualfying teams get the bid, and Kelch fell within that top seven.

"Together Kathleen and Jordan have become a unique duo for this team and the program that hasn't been seen since Katy Olsen and Katie Jacobson in the late 90s," said Schauf. "Their paths to getting here have been very different, but each has weathered the storm and overcome adversity to get to where they are now and I couldn't be more proud."

"We want to thank the parents, fans, and alumni who have supported us every step of the way," said Schauf. "I would especially like to thank the recent graduates of our program who laid the foundation from which these men followed…guys like Peter Johnston, Justus Bibeau, Clint Loker, Tim Nelson, Mitch Easker, Tim Gliniecki and Sean O'Brien played a significant role in making this once imagined dream a reality."