Before this year, there has never been a nationals meet set aside for small schools. That's all different now.
This year, there is a postseason meet solely for the small schools. Forget about how much it helps to have a student body of a few thousand students to draw from. This is a meet for the small schools to show that they run some quality cross country as well. And, while small schools rarely leave you wondering how much of their success owes to transfers, they do use a lot of multi-sport athletes.
It's because of that last fact that the date of Small School Nationals falls before Thanksgiving. The window of opportunity closes more rapidly for the smaller schools in the nation.
Small School Nationals will take place at the Lubbock Christian University championship cross country course in Lubbock, Texas. It's the most centrally located of all national meets and takes place on a dedicated cross country course that is in high demand for collegiate conference and regional races. The rye grass surface and mostly flat terrain allows runners to build and sustain the kind of speed that should result in a nice collection of PR marks at the end of the day. While November weather can't be guaranteed, conditions are generally quite favorable for running in Lubbock in November.
There are currently a few hundred entries, but there is room for more. This is your invitation to be part of the making of history. Registration for the meet is still open and will remain open until noon (CST) on November 16. So, get your teams together, make an entry, and then make a trip to Lubbock for all the action. Please note that entries that are not paid by closing time will be dropped.
For siblings, parents, coaches, and whoever else may be there on meet day, there will also be a citizens race on the same course. You can register for that one as well. Links to the meet pages for both events are linked below.
SMALL SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS