SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- With a conference title and regional championship already secured, the Augustana men's and women's cross country teams are now ready for their next challenge, the NCAA DII National Championship. The races take place Saturday in Sacramento, California, at the Arcade Creek Cross Country Course. The women's race starts at noon with the men's race to follow at 1:15 p.m.

Augustana Cross Country Head Coach Tracy Hellman, who won a DII National Cross Country title in 2011, is excited to step on the course and knows what it takes to bring home a title. 

"As the year progressed, we have gotten stronger and better," Hellman said. "Our packs have been stronger and right now, we are racing at the highest level we have all year. At this stage of the season, this is one of the better teams I've had."

Over the last decade, Augustana cross country has performed very well at the DII Cross Country National Championship. The Viking men have placed in the top-10 nine of the last 10 years, including a pair of top-three finishes in 2013 and 2014. A season ago, the Augustana men finished 10th in the nation. 
 
The Viking men are led by a pair of strong runners upfront in Aaron Runge and. Jesus Urtusuastegui. Austin Miller, Nathan Schroeder and Skylar DeJong will all play a critical role for Augustana, too. The championship race is set with a distance of 10,000 meters. 
 
The women's program is equally impressive, earning nine top-10 finishes in school history. The Viking claimed the aforementioned 2011 national title and also finished as the runner-up a year later. In 2018, the Augustana women ran to an 18th place finish. The Viking women are coming off arguably their best race of the season, capturing the 2019 NCAA Central Region title on Nov. 16 in Joplin, Missouri.  The women's team had six runners finish in the top-15, finishing with the second-lowest point total (41) in program history. 

At the regional, Nicolette Schmidt led the pack with a third-place finish, Rebekah Rairdon placed seventh while her sister Rachel Rairdon finished right behind her in eighth. Keep an eye on Claire Boersma and Patty Jo English, who will also make an impact for Augustana. The women's race is set for 6,000 meters. 

Fans interested in following along can visit the official visitor site of the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships by clicking here.