NAIA Announces Field for Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships
KANSAS CITY – The NAIA released its final Cross Country Top-25 Polls on Sunday and set the fields for the upcoming National Championships on November 18 on Monday evening.
On the men’s side, No. 12 Indiana Wesleyan earned a spot in the 36-team field by securing the Crossroads League Championship on November 4. No. 19 Taylor finished five points back of IWU at the league meet and secured one of nine available at-large bids to join the Wildcats.
Two other Crossroads League programs will be represented in Vancouver, as Lucas Sullivan and Conor Smith of Marian and Vincent Kibunja of Goshen will race as individuals, after claiming the CL three available individual at-large bids.
On the women’s side, No. 4 Taylor punched its ticket to Vancouver with the league’s automatic bid, after winning its fifth-straight Crossroads League Championship. The Trojans will be joined by No. 16 Indiana Wesleyan, as the Wildcats earned one-of-eight available at-large bids with a second-place showing at the league meet.
Marian also earned votes in the final regular season poll but did not receive at at-large bid and will instead send Rachel Dever and Kiersten Schrope to compete as individuals at the race. Spring Arbor’s Victoria Harper and Jasmine Harper will also represent the Crossroads League as individuals.
The 2017 NAIA National Championships will be held at Fort Vancouver Historical Site in Vancouver, Washington, with the men’s race starting at 1:30 pm (ET) and the women following at 2:30 pm (ET).