Nov. 14, 2008
Center Valley, Pa. - Patriot League men's and women's cross country teams and individuals will have their chance to qualify for the NCAA Championship on Saturday, as all eight schools compete in one of of the NCAA Regional qualifying races. American, Bucknell, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy have the opportunity to compete at the Mid-Atlantic Regional in Princeton, N.J., while Army, Colgate and Holy Cross will compete at the Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, N.Y.
The Patriot League did not have any teams advance to last year's NCAA Cross Country Championship, but did produce three individual qualifiers on the men's side for the first time since 1993. American was the top League finisher in the 2007 men's regional with a fourth-place showing, while Bucknell was ninth on the women's side.
After winning the Patriot League title two weeks ago, the Army and Navy men and the Navy women are the top League teams in their respective regional rankings. Navy ranks sixth in both the men's and women's rankings for the Mid-Atlantic Region, while the Army men are 12th in the Northeast region. Also holding regional rankings are the Bucknell women (8th), Lehigh men (10th) and women (11th), and American men (12th).
The Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country Championship provides for a maximum of 31 (five-seven person) teams and 38 individuals per gender. Eighteen teams automatically qualify to the championships races by finishing as one of the top two teams at any of the nine regional races. The remaining 13 at-large teams are selected by the NCAA Division I track and field subcommittee.
The top four runners at each regional meet not on an advancing team automatically advance to the national meet to make up 36 of the individual qualifiers. On Sunday, the selection committee will select two additional at-large runners.
Results will be available after the races on Saturday at ncaasports.com, and the full field for the 2008 NCAA Cross Country Championship will be announced on Sunday. The 2008 NCAA Cross Country Championship will be held Monday, Nov. 24, on the campus of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind.
