The University of Minnesota Crookston athletic department and Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause announced the addition of men’s and women’s cross country as a NCAA Division II sport, and trap as a competitive club sport to begin competition during the 2019-20 athletic season.
“We are very excited to add men’s and women’s cross country and trap to our sports offerings at Minnesota Crookston,” said Director of Athletics Stephanie Helgeson. “Through an internal survey we discovered that cross country and trap were two sports that students wanted to see at Minnesota Crookston. By expanding our sports offerings, we are able to cater to our current student population, while also reaching new recruits. The addition of these two thriving sports matches Minnesota Crookston’s vision to be a leader and innovator in higher education and athletics both locally and globally. This is a big day for Minnesota Crookston athletics and we can’t wait to field two competitive programs that will be a positive addition to our department and our campus.”
The Golden Eagle men’s and women’s cross country teams will compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and will be the 12th NCAA sport for UMC. Trap will be the first competitive club sponsored by the campus. UMC has a long history of students with passion for the outdoors and by offering trap the school is able to offer one of a very few four-year competitive club programs in the region. The trap team will compete in the USA College Clay Target League, where they will compete against universities across the nation. The nationwide league begins official competition in the fall of 2019.
The process of hiring the head coaches for the men’s/women’s cross country and trap teams will begin immediately. The trap team will compete at the Crookston Gun Club, while the cross country programs will call Minakwa Golf Course their home.
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