Sandburg Chooses Not to Field Cross Country Teams for Fall
Aaron Frey
Wednesday, September 2, 2020 11:25 AM
Athletics
Galesburg, IL
Carl Sandburg College has opted not to field men’s and women’s cross country teams for the NJCAA’s fall 2020 season.
Most of the meets the Chargers typically compete in are hosted by and largely comprised of four-year colleges. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many four-year cross country programs have canceled their seasons or postponed them to the spring. As a result, Sandburg’s schedule this fall would have been limited to a few dual or triangular meets against fellow NJCAA schools.
Sandburg will continue to honor any cross country athletic talent scholarships that had previously been awarded for the 2020-21 academic year. The season cancellation also allows team members to retain their year of eligibility that would have been used for 2020-21. Current Chargers runners will have the opportunity to return to the team next season.
“This was a difficult decision, but we felt it was the right one to make for the benefit of our student-athletes,” Athletic Director Steve Norton said. “Our teams were prepared to compete this season, but the amount of four-year schools not participating this fall seriously complicated matters and would have left us with a minimal schedule. We believed it would have been unfair to our runners to use a year of eligibility with just a handful of small meets to show for it.”
Sandburg’s other intercollegiate teams — men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s soccer, volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, softball, baseball and esports — will continue to proceed with their respective seasons under the NJCAA’s 2020-21 plan of action.