Division III Men's Cross Country Championships

Dates and sites: Regional competition will be conducted at eight sites November 13. The championships will be November 20 at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Field: A field of 215 runners will compete.

Selection date: The 24 teams of seven individuals and 47 additional individuals will be determined through regional competition.

2003 team champion: Calvin.

2003 individual champion: Josh Moen (Wartburg).

Top contenders: Calvin, North Central, Wisconsin-La Crosse, Haverford, Tufts Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Championships notes: Calvin returns three of last year's unprecedented six all-American honorees, including top-10 individual finishers Dave Haagsma and Hendrik Kok, and two other returning seniors, Jeff Engbers and Andy Yazzie, have stepped up into leadership roles as the Knights seek their third team title since 2000 ... Top challengers North Central, a 12-time champion seeking its first victory since 1999, and Wisconsin-La Crosse, which returns all seven members of last year's fourth-place team, also bring experienced squads to the championships ... The top two individual finishers from last year also return. Wartburg's Josh Moen seeks his second straight title (and also hopes with women's teammate Missy Buttry for a second straight sweep of the men's and women's individual races), but likely will be challenged by Widener's Macharia Yuot.

Division III Women's

Cross Country Championships

Dates and sites: Regional competition will be conducted at eight sites November 13. The championships will be November 20 at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Field: A field of 215 runners will compete.

Selection date: The 24 teams of seven individuals and 47 additional individuals will be determined through regional competition.

2003 team champion: Middlebury.

2003 individual champion: Missy Buttry (Wartburg).

Top contenders: Williams, Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Amherst, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Middlebury.

Championships notes: This year's meet may be a celebration of out-of-the-ordinary streaks, as three rivals from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (Williams, Amherst and defending champion Middlebury) again will be in the thick of competition to bring home a fifth straight team title for the league ... However, eyes will be focused on senior Missy Buttry from Wartburg, who is vying to become the first three-time individual winner in women's cross country in any division. Buttry dominated the field in her first two victories, but one of her chief rivals, Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior Liz Woodworth, also returns with hopes of snaring a crown, both individually and with her team ... The three NESCAC rivals also are led by individual contenders, including Amherst's Carter Hamill and Shauneen Garrahan, Williams' Caroline Cretti (who missed last year's race with an injury) and Jenn Campbell, and Middlebury's Jess Manzer. Wisconsin-Stevens Point could crash the party, however, behind junior Jenna Mitchler and senior Megan Craig.

Division III Field Hockey Championship

Dates and sites: All preliminary-round games will be conducted on the campuses of participating institutions. First-round games are November 10, and second- and third-round games are November 13-14. The semifinals and final are November 19-20 at Westfield State.

Field: Eighteen teams.

Selection date: November 7.

2003 champion: Salisbury.

Top contenders: Salisbury, Messiah, Middlebury, Ursinus and Cortland State round out the top five in a recent NCAA Division III STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll.

Championship notes: Four-time national runner-up Messiah is ranked first in the nation in scoring offense and scoring defense for Division III. The Falcons have never won a national championship ... Defending champion Salisbury completed a perfect 16-0 regular season and is positioned to make its 20th tournament appearance. Cortland State, led by top team scorers Kelli Johnson and Becky Osier, also is gunning for its 20th tournament appearance and its fourth national championship ... Ursinus' only loss this season was to second-ranked Messiah. The Bears are seeking their first tournament berth ... Middlebury, the 2003 national runner-up, had compiled an unblemished 12-0 record and allowed just 12 goals through late October.

Division III Football Championship

Dates and sites: First-round (November 20), second-round (November 27), quarterfinal (December 4) and semifinal (December 11) games are at campus sites. The championship final will be December 18 at the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Salem, Virginia.

Field: Twenty-eight teams.

Selection date: November 14.

2003 champion: St. John's (Minnesota).

Top contenders: Mount Union, Linfield, Wheaton (Illinois), Hardin-Simmons, and Washington and Jefferson topped the October 26 American Football Coaches Association poll.

Championship notes: Mount Union has been a powerhouse in Division III, winning the national championship six times since 1996. Their 55-game winning streak ended in the 2003 championship game against St. John's (Minnesota) ... Ten of the top 25 teams in the AFCA poll were undefeated as of October 26, including every team in the top five and eight of the top 10.

Division III Men's Soccer Championship

Dates and sites: First-round (November 10), second-round (November 13) and sectional (November 19-21) games will be at campus sites. The semifinals and final will be November 26-27 at Greensboro.

Field: Forty-four teams.

Selection date: November 7.

2003 champion: Trinity (Texas).

Top contenders: Trinity (Texas), Johns Hopkins, Salisbury, Wheaton (Massachusetts) and Stevens Institute of Technology topped the October 26 National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.

Championship notes: Defending champion Trinity (Texas) remains unbeaten (15-0) after recent wins over DePauw, Rose-Hulman and Montclair State. Eddie Ho scored the game-winner in the latter against the 20th-ranked Red Hawks ... Johns Hopkins also is perfect after a 1-0 win over Gettysburg. The Blue Jays, 12-0 overall and 5-0 in the Centennial Conference, posted their ninth shutout win of the year ... Salisbury coach Gerry DiBartolo won his 250th career game with a 3-2 victory over Goucher October 6. The 13-0-2 Gulls' most recent wins were over Roanoke and Christopher Newport. Salisbury's four tournament appearances all have come since 1999.

Division III Women's Soccer Championship

Dates and sites: First-round (November 10), second-round (November 13) and sectional (November 19-21) games will be at campus sites. The semifinals and final will be November 26-27 at Greensboro.

Field: Forty-five teams.

Selection date: November 7.

2003 champion: Oneonta State.

Top contenders: Trinity (Texas), Wheaton (Massachusetts), Messiah, Wheaton (Illinois) and Oneonta State topped the October 26 National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.

Championship notes: Trinity (Texas) has reached the semifinals twice in 11 tournament appearances. The 12-0 Tigers, whose most recent wins have come against Rose-Hulman, Roanoke, and Washington and Lee, are led by Carly Shade with 10 goals and five assists ... Wheaton (Massachusetts) had its 47-game New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference winning streak end when the Lyons were tied by Coast Guard, which entered the contest with a 1-13 record. The Lyons rebounded to beat Clark, 4-0, to boost their overall record to 17-0-1 ... Messiah is 13-0-1 after beating Lebanon Valley October 20. Annie Futato and Hannah Levesque have combined for 30 goals and 21 assists.

Division III Women's Volleyball Championship

Dates and sites: Preliminary-round matches will be conducted on the campuses of participating institutions. Four regionals will be played November 11-13, and quarterfinal matches are November 20. The semifinals and final will be November 26-27 in Rochester, Minnesota.

Field: Forty-eight teams.

Selection date: November 7.

2003 champion: Washington (Missouri).

Top contenders: Juniata, Wittenberg, Washington (Missouri), La Verne.

Championship notes: Juniata's Stephanie Kines ranks second in the nation in hitting percentage at .450 ... Sarah Yuskewch of Wittenberg is second nationally in assists per match at 14.51 ... Washington captured its eighth Division III national title last year. ... La Verne's Amanda Thomas runs her team's offense and averages 11.92 assists per match.