Men's Cross Country Qualifies For NCAA Championships

Nov. 13, 2005

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee announced that the University of Kansas men’s cross country team received an at-large bid into the NCAA Championships next Monday, Nov. 21, in Terre Haute, Ind. The announcement marked the first time the Jayhawks have qualified for the championship meet since 1994.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

Thirty-one teams were selected to participate in each championship. The top two, seven-person teams automatically qualified from each of the nine regions, for a total of 18 teams. Thirteen additional teams, including <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas, were selected at-large.

The announcement comes after the Jayhawks’ third place result at the Midwest Regional Championships over the weekend. Five KU runners – Paul Hefferon (eighth), Benson Chesang (11th), Colby Wissel (15th), Tyler Kelly (18th) and Erik Sloan (22nd) – garnered all-region honors by finishing in the top 25 of the 150 runners that competed. They were closely followed by Joshy Madathil (29th) and Cameron Schwehr (50th)

Indiana State University will host the 2005 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships, Nov. 21, at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course located at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center. The men’s race will begin at noon EST time followed by the women’s race at 1:15 p.m.

For a complete list of qualifying teams, visit www.ncaasports.com/crosscountry.