IMPORTANT Preseason Info for Runners

I am hoping we can all be ready for the start of practice without any last minute details getting in the way of the new school year and fall season. To that end:

Medical/Insurance Forms - Per Drury & NCAA policy, no athlete may practice or compete until their medical/insurance forms(including a physical exam by a physician and copies of the front and back of an insurance card) are in order and provided to the Drury Athletic Trainers. This must be done prior to the first practice on August 15 so I expect those forms to be on file with the Trainer or in my hands by August 14. I will be available at the Fitness Center at 8:00 am on Monday, August 13, and Tuesday, August 14, for anyone wanting to turn in forms or talk with me. Students who are not covered by their family's health insurance can purchase a student health insurance policy thru Drury. Please contact our trainer Erin Kineman at 417-873-6865 for more information about health insurance for student athletes.

Housing - The Housing Office will allow cross country runners to move into College Park and the dorms as early as Sunday afternoon on August 12. Those moving into dorms need to let me know the day and time you plan to arrive so we can arrange for Housing/Security to check you in. You must get your room key from Security and their hours are limited during that week before school officially starts.

Preseason Practices - Our first cross country practice will be on Wednesday, August 15, at 7 am at the Fitness Center(breakfast apres run). We will run again at 4 pm that afternoon. We'll have the same running schedule on Thursday, August 16, and our required meeting to discuss and sign NCAA forms will take place Thursday morning after practice. We'll run 13 miles Friday morning at 7 am on the Sequiota Trail from the East Sunshine Bread Company(again with breakfast after the run) and then go out for dinner and bowling in the evening. Runners can eat lunch at the Commons in Finley Student Center on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Orientation for freshmen starts on Saturday and we'll be doing an easy run at 7 am from Drury that day. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday mornings we may start a bit earlier to avoid conflicts with orientation activities.

Once school starts, practices will be scheduled around class times as much as possible. We'll try to finish in the mornings by 8 am and probably start afternoon practices shortly after 4 pm. Until we have everyone's class schedule I cannot yet say what days we'll be running in the mornings or afternoons. Some days it will be both. I will expect all runners to be at all practices(unless you are in class or sick in bed with a contagious illness or fever) and we will be running on weekends throughout the season. Labor Day Weekend will give you a chance to be gone from campus for almost 72 hours or so to visit family. Fall break is the weekend of our conference meet in Indianapolis.

Have a great rest of the summer,

Coach Van Arkel
417-873-7567