Ducks Take on the NCAA XC Championships
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Eight days removed from the regional meet, the Oregon cross country teams will take on the NCAA Championships at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla. The women's 6K goes off Saturday, Nov. 20, at 7:20 a.m. (PT) with the men's 10K to follow at 8:10 a.m. For the first time, the NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held in the state of Florida.
How to Follow
2021 NCAA XC Championships
TV: ESPNU
Stream | Live Results
The broadcast begins at 7 a.m. and will be hosted by SportCenter's John Anderson with Carrie Tollefson and Bill Spaulding handing the commentary duties. The awards ceremony will stream live on ESPN3 after the races.
Earned a Spot
On the heels of their regional efforts, the Ducks earned at-large bids to the NCAA Championships when the fields were announced Nov. 13; the women finished third in the NCAA West while the men placed fourth in the region. The Men of Oregon advance to the national meet for the 45th time and the Women of Oregon will be making their 32nd NCAA appearance in program history.
Last Time Out
Paced by a trio of all-region performances, the Women of Oregon ran to a third-place finish at the NCAA West Region Championships (Nov. 13) in Sacramento, Calif. The UO men, in their first 10K of the season, finished fourth overall behind a pair of top-five individual efforts by Cooper Teare and Aaron Bienenfeld.
NCAA All-West Region Performers
Women: Alessia Zarbo (fourth place), Aneta Konieczek (sixth), Emilie Girard (23rd)
Men: Cooper Teare (third place), Aaron Bienenfeld (fourth)
To open their 2021 postseason campaign, the UO women have registered bronze finishes at the Pac-12 Championships (Oct. 29) and NCAA West Region Championships.
Past Experience at the NCAA Championships
Men of Oregon
Aaron Bienenfeld (at Cincinnati): 2021 (spring) – 16th, 30:22.0 | 2018 – 111th, 30:42.8
Caleb Brown: First appearance
Reed Brown: 2018 – 178th, 31:21.9 | 2017 – 78th, 30:30.1
Elliott Cook: First appearance
Abdinasir Hussein: First appearance
Jackson Mestler: 2021 (spring) – 81st, 31:19.5 | 2019 – 73rd, 31:41.7 | 2018 – 73rd, 30:25.7
Quincy Norman: First appearance
Cooper Teare: 2019 – 6th, 30:48.2 | 2018 – 94th, 30:34.3 | 2017 – 44th, 30:06.8
Jack Yearian: 2019 – 175th, 32:40.0 | 2018 – 117th, 30:48.1
Women of Oregon
Emilie Girard: First appearance
Dania Holmberg (at Seattle Pacific, Division II): 2019 – 21st, 20:48.8 | 2018 – 176th, 25:26.1
Aneta Konieczek: 2019 – 215th, 22:12.7 | 2018^ – 19th, 23:13.5 | 2017^ - 7th, 21:07.4
Nicole Louw: First appearance
Harper McClain: First appearance
Caramia Mestler: 2019 – 225th, 22:26.5
Malia Pivec: First appearance
Alessia Zarbo: First appearance
^Konieczek began collegiate career at Division II Western State
In the Rankings
The Men and Women of Oregon enter Saturday's national meet at No. 20 and 26, respectively, in the latest USTFCCCA rankings.
On the Biggest Stage
The Men and Women of Oregon have combined for 10 NCAA cross country titles while the UO men have won eight individual titles with two three-time NCAA champions in Steve Prefontaine (1970-71, '73) and Edward Cheserek (2013-15).
UO Men's NCAA Top-5 Finishes (23 in 44 appearances)
Champions (6): 1971, '73, '74, '77, 2007, '08
Runner-Up (8): 1963, '64, '70, 76, '78, '79, '89, 2009
Third (4): 1969, '72, '83, '96
Fourth (2): 1986, 2015
Fifth (5): 1990, '98, 2002, '06, '13
UO Women's NCAA Top-5 Finishes (18 in 31 appearances)
Champions (4): 1983, '87, 2012, '16
Runner-Up (4): 1981, '88, 2007, '08
Third (3): 1982, 2015, '19
Fourth (2): 1984, '86
Fifth (5): 1990, '91, '95, 2011, '17
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.