The NCAA News - News & Features

Division II

Western State goes for two straight

Overview: In four years of NCAA competition, Western State and Adams State have combined to earn four team championships and two runner-up finishes. Those numbers are likely to improve. Western State, the defending champion, looks to extend its team streak to two. The Mountaineers return two of their top five performers in Hamish Smith and Andy Bruckner, who placed 15th and 18th, respectively, at the 1995 championships. Also key to the Mountaineers' title defense are Rees Buck, David Fagan and Jeff Wooten, among others .... Among teams looking to end the Mountaineers' reign are South Dakota State, Cal Poly Pomona, Mankato State, Truman State and three-time champion Adams State. South Dakota State, which placed fourth in 1995, is the nation's No. 2-ranked team. The Jackrabbits are led by Jason Massmann, Mark McKeown and Alan Gross. Massmann, a senior, placed ninth overall in 1995. Cal Poly Pomona, ranked No. 3, is vying for its second championship. Cliff Curtis and Rondie Gibbs are among the Broncos' top performers. Mankato State and Truman State, which earned top-five finishes in 1995 and are ranked among the top five teams in 1996, are led by junior Jon Keillor and senior Jeff Obert, respectively. Adams State, which did not qualify for the 1995 championships, has shown signs of challenging. The Grizzlies are led by Jason Kayne, Dave McQuitty, Dan Caulfield and Dave Dolezal.

Field: A total of 132 individual competitors will be selected. Seventeen teams of seven individuals each -- at least one team from each of six regions -- plus 13 individuals (at least two individuals from each region) will make up the field.

Dates and sites: Regional qualifying will be November 9 at six sites. The championships will be November 23 at Humboldt State.

Information/results: The fax-on-demand telephone number is 770/399-3060 (passcode 1915); request numbers are 1285 for dates/sites/schedule and 5073 for championships results. Championship results also will be available on the World Wide Web at www.ncaa.org. Results will be published in the December 2 issue of The NCAA News.

Championships notes: Western State and Adams State went head-to-head at the Rocky Mountain Shootout October 5. The Mountaineers gained the upper hand, outdistancing the Grizzlies, 21-35 .... Adams State won the Hind/Cal Poly Invitational October 19, defeating a 14-team field that included No. 3-ranked host Cal Poly Pomona.