NORTON, Ohio — Simon Heys is right where Wilmington College cross country coach Ron Combs thought he’d be in mid-November.

Heys qualified for the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships at Big Spring High School in Newville, Pa. this coming Saturday.

The men’s race will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. Dickinson College is hosting the championships.

“He’s the hardest worker I’ve ever had,” Wilmington College cross country Ron Combs said. “He just never misses a day. His commitment and his consistency is second to nobody I’ve coached.”

Heys won the Great Lakes Regional Cross Country Championships men’s race this past Saturday at the Silver Creek Cross Country Course in Norton, Ohio. It is the first regional championship in WC cross country history.

Heys was not in front through much of the race but surged to the lead late and never looked back.

“The move he made this past weekend to take the lead at 6K was dominant,” Combs said. “The move said to everybody ‘I’m the best guy here’. He’s done a really good job of that this year.”

Heys, a Wilmington High School graduate and senior at Wilmington College, broke his own WC record in the 8,000-meter race with a time of 23:46.7. The regional title is the first of his college career and earned Heys his third straight berth in the national championship race.

Heys has not been defeated by a Division III runner this season. With championship runs in the Ohio Athletic Conference championship and the Great Lakes Region championship, Heys is on track for a strong finish in the national meet.

“Is he the favorite?” Combs said. “I would way he’s not the favorite … but when he steps on the (starting) line this Saturday he has as good a shot as anybody.”

Combs said both the national runnerup and third place runners from last season are back. Heys was under the weather at last year’s national race.