Seven Big 12 Teams Earn Bids To NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships

Nov. 12, 2007

IRVING, Texas -- Four men's and three women's Big 12 teams will compete in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships on Monday, Nov. 19, at Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Ind.

In order to be eligible to participate in the championships, teams and individuals must qualify in their respective NCAA regions. Colorado and Oklahoma State's men's squads swept their respective regionals, while Texas placed second and Iowa State's men an at-large selection by finishing third in its regional. On the women's side, all three qualifying teams earned at-large selctions. Colorado edged out Texas Tech for fourth place in its regional while Baylor took third. 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 squads. Thirteen additional teams were selected at-large for both men and women.

In addition to the seven teams representing the league, seven individuals from Big 12 schools earned bids to the championship. Thirty-eight individuals were selected to participate -- the first four athletes from each region who are not a part of a qualifying team. All individual qualifiers must finish in the top 25 in their region.

NCAA Division I Qualifiers

Big 12 Men's Automatic Qualifying Teams
Colorado
Iowa State
Oklahoma State
Texas Big 12

Women's Automatic Qualifying Teams
Baylor
Colorado
Texas Tech

Big 12 Men's Individual Automatic Qualifiers
Midwest Region
Colby Wissel (Kansas)
Dan Hedgecock (Missouri)

Big 12 Women's Individual Automatic Qualifiers
Midwest Region
Grace Kenney (Iowa State)
Lisa Koll (Iowa State)
Lara Crofford (Nebraska)
Jessica Eldridge (Oklahoma)

South Central Region
Christina Munoz (Texas A&M)