LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course
The LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, in Terre Haute, Indiana was dedicated October 17, 1997. This course has the distinction of being one of the few purpose-built cross-country courses in the world. The facility is part of 240 acres (0.97 km2) that comprise the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center just east of the Terre Haute International Airport. The course itself is built on a reclaimed coal mine and consists of an external loop of 3 km and four internal loops that allow for circuits of varying lengths. Indiana State University's Cross-Country team uses the Gibson Course for its home meets.
In the short history of the course it has hosted multiple championship meets. The Gibson Course hosted the NCAA Division I Great Lakes Regional in 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2003, and Division III Regional in 2009 and 2012. The most prominent meet it has hosted has been the Men's and Women's NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships (2002, 2004-2011, 2013-2014). In 2004 it also became the host site of the state high school championship meet for Indiana, as well as the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) Midwest Regional Meet in 2009. It has also hosted numerous invitational and conference championship meets on multiple levels since it opened.
Course records
| Race | Runner | School | Time | Race | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collegiate Course Records | |||||
| Women's 6k | Sally Kipyego | Texas Tech | 19:28.1 | 2008 NCAA Championship | 11/25/2008 |
| Women's 6k (old course) | Joanna Nilsson | Northern Arizona | 19:33.9 | 2005 NCAA Championship | 11/21/2005 |
| Men's 8k | Sam Chelanga | Liberty | 22:51.3 | 2008 Brooks Pre-Nationals White Race | 10/18/2008 |
| Men's 10k | Sam Chelanga | Liberty | 28:41.2 | 2009 NCAA Championship | 11/23/2009 |
| High School Course Records | |||||
| Girls 5k | Judy Pendergast | Naperville North (IL) | 17:08.8 | 2015 Nike XC Nationals Midwest Regional | 11/15/2015 |
| Girls 4k (old course) | Alexandra Banfich | Culver Girls Academy (IN) | 14:05.1 | 2005 Indiana HS State Championship | 10/29/2005 |
| Boys 5k | Futsum Zeinasellassie | North Central (Indianapolis, IN) | 14:48.8 | 2011 Indiana HS State Championship | 10/29/2011 |
External links
Lavern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course Web Site: http://laverngibson.com
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