Wabash College senior Brayden Curnutt knows the LaVern Gibson Family Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana, exceptionally well. Not only has he competed there throughout his cross country career, he won the North Coast Athletic Conference men's cross country championship three weeks ago. The senior will compete one last time this Saturday on that same course at the 2024 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.
 
Curnutt qualified for the national championship race by winning the Great Lakes Region race last Saturday, becoming the first Wabash runner to win a regional title since Kevin McCarthy finished in first place at the 2011 regional race. Curnutt earned all-region honors and was named the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year by the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
 
"Brayden had an incredible summer of training that set him up for this success," Wabash head cross country coach Tyler McCreary said. "This is the first real stretch of time he's had uninterrupted healthy mileage and base building. Brayden is just a different runner. He's always been confident, but I think that has increased his confidence dramatically to put him in the position he's in today.
 
"The mental aspect for Brayden is what puts his success over the edge. His confidence in himself and his fitness allow him to do what he's doing. For example, in the last two events that he's won in championship environments, he evaluated the race throughout and then made a pretty bold, deep move late in the race at 2000 meters left. That confidence to do that week in a field of multiple All-Americans and expose yourself shows the ultimate confidence in what he can do."
 
Now, Curnutt will compete in the championship at noon at the Gibson course in an effort to become the first Wabash runner to earn All-America honors with a top-40 finish since Dominic Patacsil raced to 12th place at the 2017 championship race. Curnutt's back-to-back victories in the past two races included a personal-best time of 24:36.9 to win the regional championship at the Blue River Cross Country Course in Shelbyville last Saturday.
 
Running on a familiar course provides a slight edge for the senior, but he knows he will face stiff competition at the championship meet.
 
"It does give me a boost of confidence, but at the same time, everyone else has probably run on the course, as well," Curnutt said. "I don't think of it as an advantage. I am just going to go out there and run my race. I know the course pretty well, so that should give me a good idea of how the race will go."
 
Competition begins at 11 a.m. with the women's 6,000-meter race followed by the men's 8,000 meter race at noon. Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ncaa-cross-country-championships-admission-tickets-1022643583487?aff=oddtdtcreator. Complete meet information is available at https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/sports/2023/10/11/2024-ncaa-championships.aspx.