Pac-12 programs primed for runs at 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championships
NCAA MEET CENTRAL | INDIANA STATE MEET CENTRAL | PAC-12 NCAA RELEASE (PDF) | PAC-12 NCAA HISTORY (PDF)
SAN FRANCISCO - The Pac-12 will enter a total of nine teams along with three individuals for the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's & Women's Cross Country Championships this Saturday morning at Indiana State's LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
The Pac-12 enters the first NCAA Championships of the 2019-20 season with a national-best 526 all-time team national championships, including a national-best 29 combined men’s & women’s cross country crowns. The Pac-12 captured a national-best 13 NCAA team titles in 2018-19, marking the 14th consecutive year and 53rd time in the past 59 years that the Conference of Champions led the country in NCAA crowns.
2019 NCAA DIVISION I MEN'S & WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Saturday, November 23, 2019 - Terre Haute, Ind.
LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course
RACE SCHEDULE
Women's 6k race: 8:15 a.m. PT/11:15 a.m. ET
Men's 10k race: 9:15 a.m. PT/12:15 p.m. ET
LIVE COVERAGE
Live stream: NCAA.com and flotrack.com ($)
Live results: via Prime Time Timing
2019 NCAA Meet Central | Indiana State Meet Central
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This year marks the 13th time the LaVern Gibson Course will host the NCAA Championship. It was first the site in 2002, then eight straight years from 2004-2011 and again in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Much of the course’s popularity is due to its challenging, yet manageable, mix of uphill and downhill sections and its simple straightaway start that stretches for nearly the first kilometer before a turn. For spectators, no other course matches in LaVern Gibson’s ability to see nearly the entire race from the right perch.
COURSE RECORDS
Women’s 6K: 19:28.1 - Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech, 2008 NCAA Championships
Men’s 10K: 28:41.3 - Samuel Chelanga, Liberty, 2009 NCAA Championships
NCAA MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP - PAC-12 PREVIEW
PAC-12 TEAM AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
Colorado - Mountain Regional Runners-up (49th NCAA appearance, 28th straight)
Stanford - West Regional Runners-up (28th NCAA appearance, 26th straight)
PAC-12 TEAM AT-LARGE QUALIFIERS (Regional finish)
Oregon - 3rd at West Regional (44th NCAA appearance, eighth straight)
Washington - 4th at West Regional (17th NCAA appearance, third straight)
PAC-12 INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
Colin Burke, Sr., UCLA - 5th at West Regional
Garrett Reynolds, Sr., UCLA - 11th at West Regional
The Pac-12 will boast at least four team representatives at the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships for the sixth consecutive season on Saturday. The quartet will be racing for the league’s 17th all-time national title, first since Colorado went back-to-back in 2013 and 2014.
All four of the league’s programs enter the meet ranked in the top 11 in the latest USTFCCCA poll - No. 2 COLORADO, No. 4 STANFORD, No. 8 OREGON and No. 11 WASHINGTON. However, the foursome as well as the rest of the 31-team field will be aiming to track down three-time defending NCAA champion Northern Arizona, the nation’s No. 1 team for 29 consecutive weeks. The Lumberjacks will be looking to match the NCAA record of four straight national titles currently shared by Arkansas (1990-93) and UTEP (1978-81).
Coming off a seventh Pac-12 title in nine seasons and a runner-up NCAA Mountain Regional finish to NAU, Colorado has ascended to No. 2 in the country for the first time since entering the 2016 NCAA title meet at No. 2. The Buffs will be seeking a second straight podium finish after placing fourth in 2018, as well as a sixth all-time NCAA crown.
No. 4 Stanford also holds its highest national ranking entering the national championship since 2016 when the third-ranked Cardinal finished runner-up to first-time titlist Northern Arizona. The NCAA West Regional runners-up are going for a fifth all-time national title along with a fifth podium showing in the past six seasons.
Six-time NCAA champion No. 8 Oregon and No. 11 Washington enter the field as at-large bid recipients following third- and fourth-place finishes at the NCAA West Regional. The Ducks have risen from No. 16 in the Week 5 USTFCCCA rankings behind a second-place finish to Colorado at the Pac-12 Championship and last weekend’s third place in Colfax. Senior Andrew Jordan, who became UW’s first regional champion last weekend, will lead a Huskies team that spent the majority of the season in the national top 10 and seeks back-to-back NCAA top-10 finishes for the first time in program history (6th in 2018).
Led by 2019 Pac-12 champion Joe Klecker and three-time honoree John Dressel, seven former All-Americans are set to race in the NCAA field:
John Dressel, Colorado (2015, 2016, 2018)
Eduardo Herrera, Colorado (2017)
Joe Klecker, Colorado (2016, 2018)
Steven Fahy, Stanford (2017)
Alex Ostberg, Stanford (2017, 2018)
Alek Parsons, Stanford (2018)
Tibebu Proctor, Washington (2018)
NCAA WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP - PAC-12 PREVIEW
PAC-12 TEAM AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
Stanford - West Regional Champions (32nd NCAA appearance, 27th straight)
Washington - West Regional Runners-up (26th NCAA appearance, 13th straight)
PAC-12 TEAM AT-LARGE QUALIFIERS (Regional finish)
Colorado - 4th at Mountain Regional (29th NCAA appearance, 11th straight)
Oregon - 4th at West Regional (31st NCAA appearance, 13th straight)
Utah - 5th at Mountain Regional (third NCAA appearance)
PAC-12 INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
Christina Rice, Jr., UCLA - 8th at West Regional
No. 2 nationally ranked STANFORD headlines the Pac-12’s pack of five women’s teams entered to compete for the NCAA Cross Country Championship this weekend. It marks the ninth consecutive year that at least five women’s teams from the Conference reached the national title race, the longest such streak in the country.
The Cardinal is riding a dominant past two weeks over which it captured both the Pac-12 and NCAA West Regional titles, the first time the program pulled off that double since 2007. Should Stanford go on to capture the NCAA title, it would not only mark its sixth in program history and 14th in league history, the Cardinal would become the seventh to sweep the trio of Pac-12, West Regional and NCAA crowns (ORE - 2014; WASH - 2008; STAN - 2003, 2005-07).
Each of the Pac-12’s five NCAA entrants appear in the latest USTFCCCA national rankings, including three of the nation’s top-10 programs in No. 2 Stanford, No. 4 WASHINGTON and No. 10 COLORADO.
The Pac-12 and NCAA West Regional runner-up Huskies have their best national ranking heading into the national championship since 2011 when third-ranked UW came in second to champion Georgetown.
The Buffaloes are the defending team and individual (Dani Jones) champions of the NCAA title meet. The Buffs finished fourth at both the Pac-12 and NCAA Mountain Regionals and will be eying a fifth consecutive podium finish at the NCAA title meet (1st - 2018, 3rd - 2017, 2016, 2nd - 2015).
No. 14 UTAH is in the midst of a historic campaign with a program-best third place at the Pac-12 Championship and the program’s four highest USTFCCCA national rankings each of the past four weeks (6th, 16th, 9th, 14th). The Utes are making their third-ever appearance at NCAAs with a best finish of 20th in 2016.
No. 19 OREGON earned an at-large bid for its 13th consecutive and 31st all-time NCAA appearance.
The Pac-12 quartet of Stanford (five), Oregon (four), Colorado (three) and Washington (one) have combined for 13 national titles, the most of any conference in the country.
The Pac-12 will bring six past NCAA All-Americans to the field, including a trio seeking to become four-time All-Americans:
Sage Hurta, Colorado (2016, 2017, 2018)
Tabor Scholl, Colorado (2018)
Christina Aragon, Stanford (2016)
Fiona O’Keeffe, Stanford (2016, 2017, 2018)
Lilli Burdon, Washington (2017, 2018)
Katie Rainsberger, Washington (2016, 2017, 2018)
The Pac-12 is the winningest conference in NCAA Cross Country history, as current league members boast:
• A national-best 29 NCAA Cross Country team titles (16 men, second-best among conferences & 13 women, most among conferences)
• A national-best 29 NCAA Cross Country individual titles (25 men, most of any conference/4 women)
• 34 NCAA Cross Country runner-up team finishes (19 men/15 women)
Since expanding to the Pac-12 in 2011, the league has produced the most competitive and successful NCAA teams and individuals in the country, highlighted by:
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
• 2 NCAA men’s team national champions, the second-most of any conference.
• 14 Top 5 men’s team finishes at NCAA Championship, the most of any conference.
• 4 NCAA men’s individual national champions, the most of any conference.
• 68 men’s All-Americans, the most of any conference. The ACC is second with 36.
• The most men’s All-Americans in seven of eight years, highlighted by 15 in 2014, 12 in 2015, nine in 2016 and eight in 2018.
• 46 men’s NCAA Championship participant teams, the second-most of any conference (ACC - 47).
• The most men’s NCAA Championship participant teams in 2014 (five), 2015 (league-record seven), 2016 (six), 2017 (six) and 2018 (four).
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
• 3 NCAA women’s team national champions, the most of any conference.
• 16 Top 5 women’s team finishes at NCAA Championship, the most of any conference.
• 77 women’s All-Americans, the most of any conference. The ACC is second with 35.
• 53 women’s NCAA Championship participant teams, the most of any conference.
• Nine consecutive years with at least five women’s NCAA Championship participant teams, the only conference in the nation with such a streak.
• The most women’s NCAA Championship participant teams in four of last nine years: 2011 (seven), 2012 (five), 2015 (five) and 2016 (six).