Navy's Watson Qualifies for NCAA Cross Country Championship

Nov. 17, 2008

Center Valley, Pa. - Navy's Amy Watson advanced to the NCAA Cross Country Championship, while four Patriot League runners made All-Region teams after competing in two NCAA Regional Meets last weekend. Patriot League Individual Champion Jonathan Anderson of Army earned All-Region honors after running in the Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park, N.Y., while Navy's Andrew Hanko and Lehigh's Jon Wetzel earned All-Region honors in the Mid-Atlantic Regional, held in Princeton, N.J. Watson also earned All-Region honors in the Mid-Atlantic Regional.

Watson is one of 38 runners nationally selected to compete in the championship through the regional qualifier and an at-large process. The Navy junior finished the women's 6k in 22:24, good for a 21st-place finish out of 191 competitors. The NCAA Championship is Mon., Nov. 24 in Terre Haute, Ind.

For the team finishes on the women's side, the Mids came in seventh place in Mid-Atlantic Regional, followed by Bucknell in eighth place, Lehigh in 11th place and Lafayette in 21st place . In the Northeast Regional, Army finished in 12th place, followed by Holy Cross in 21st. Colgate rounded out the Patriot League competitors with a 30th place finish.

Anderson earned All-Region honors after finishing the men's 10k in 32:14, good for 14th-place out of 239 runners at rain-soaked Van Cortlandt Park. The Black Knights had a team finish of 13th-place in the regional, followed by Colgate in 19th place and Holy Cross in 26th place.

Lehigh's Wetzel was the top Patriot League finisher in the Mid-Atlantic meet with a 20th-place finish in a time of 32:56. Navy's Hanko crossed the line shortly after Wetzel at 33:08, good for a 24th-place finish. Wetzel earned All-Region honors after leading Lehigh to a ninth place team finish, while Hanko earned All-Region honors by helping Navy finish 10th. Bucknell came in 12th place and Lafayette came in 24th place to round out the Patriot League competition.

Men's teams from Army, Bucknell, Colgate and Holy Cross will compete at Saturday's IC4A Championship, while women's teams from Army, Bucknell, Colgate and Holy Cross will compete at the ECAC Championship on Saturday. American, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy have completed their 2008 cross country seasons.