Valparaiso University president Mark A. Heckler, Ph.D., announced today that the University has accepted an invitation to join the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1, 2017. The Crusaders will begin competing for MVC championships in the 2017–2018 academic year.

The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s cross country teams have been named U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Teams for their success this past season in the classroom.

The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s cross country teams finished their respective seasons Friday as they competed in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship, held in Madison, Wis. The men’s squad placed 29th in the 10K and the women finished 31st in the 6K at the Championships.

The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s cross country teams ran in the 2016 Horizon League Championships Saturday in Parkside, Wis. The Crusader men and women both finished in ninth place, led by the respective runs from seniors Adam Bruno (Bloomington, Ill./University) and Elizabeth Owen (Freedom, Wis./Freedom).

Four Valparaiso University student-athletes have received Academic All-League recognition from the Horizon League as the league released its first set of academic honorees on Friday. Two Crusader women’s soccer players earned the award, while the men’s and women’s cross country squads had one recipient apiece.

The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s cross country squads continued their respective 2016 campaigns on Friday afternoon, running at Notre Dame’s Joe Piane Invitational.

The Valparaiso University men’s cross country team split into two groups this weekend, as some Crusaders stayed closer to home at the Gil Dodds Invitational in Warrenville, Ill., while most of the squad traveled to San Diego, Calif. for the USD Invite. The Crusaders finished fifth as a team in San Diego, while the men finished 12th at the Gil Dodds Invite. The women’s team traveled along to California for the USD Invite as well, garnering a sixth-place finish.

The Valparaiso University cross country teams opened their respective seasons Friday evening with the 28th Annual Crusader Open, as the Crusaders had four runners from each team cross the finish line in the top-ten. Notre Dame took home the team title in both the men’s and women’s races.

Valparaiso University opens its 2016 men’s and women’s cross country season this Friday, Sept. 2 in the 28th Crusader Open at Sunset Hills Farm. This will be the 23rd straight year in which this meet serves as the Crusaders’ season opener. Valpo will be joined by the men’s and women’s squads from Notre Dame Friday. The women’s 5K race is set to begin at 5 p.m., with the men’s 6K to follow at 5:45 p.m.