Division III Illinois State Cross Country Meet History

The Division III Illinois State Cross Country Meet is a traditional invitational meet which features only runners from Division III colleges and universities from the state of Illinois -- no out-of-state schools, no scholarship schools, no junior colleges. It was begun by former Monmouth College cross country coach Jud Kruidenier in 1981 on a five-mile course at the Gibson Woods Golf Course in Monmouth. A field of nine men's teams ran the State Meet that year and Wheaton College was the first team champion. A three-mile race was added for women in 1982 and the race distance is still measured in traditional miles. The meet was moved to Lake Storey Park in Galesburg for the 1983 and 1984 races and returned to Monmouth in 1985. The Monmouth Country Club served as the race site until 1991 when the course was moved to its present Monmouth City Park location.

Following their initial win, Wheaton College repeated as men's team champions in 1982 and 1983. Illinois Wesleyan won five of the next six men's division titles, including three straight from 1984-1986, with only Augustana's win in 1987 breaking their championship streak. Monmouth won its first team championship in 1990 and then repeated the next year, but Augustana broke the Scots' two-year hold on the title in 1992. North Central became the fifth school to win the men's championship when the Cardinals took home team honors in 1993. North Central successfully defended its titles in 1995 and 1996 but Elmhurst took first-place honors at the 1997 race.

Augustana College has clearly dominated the women's division at the Division III State Meet, winning 13 team championships in the 15-year history of the meet. North Central (1992) and Knox (1988) are the only two schools to defeat Augustana in the women's State Meet competition. The Lady Vikings won the 1997 team title with Chicago, Elmhurst and host Monmouth placing second through fourth. Monmouth had posted three consecutive runner-up finishes from 1994 to 1996.