Nov. 13, 2009

OXFORD, Ohio - Fresh off its second straight Mid-American Conference championship, the Miami University women’s cross country team looks to keep its success rolling, as the RedHawks head to Bloomington, Ind. Saturday for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship. The 6K race, hosted by Indiana University, begins at 1:15 p.m. ET after the men run at noon on Indiana’s Championship Cross Country Course.

Miami will be looking to earn a spot in the NCAA Championship (Nov. 23) at the regional meet, as the top-two teams at the Great Lakes Regional (and each of the other eight regions) automatically qualify for the NCAA meet while a total 13 at-large bids will be awarded among the remaining teams at each of the nine regional meets held Saturday. For an individual to qualify, they must finish in the top 25 at the regional championship and be one of the top four runners on a non-NCAA Championship qualifying team.

The RedHawks enter Saturday’s Great Lakes Regional ranked sixth in the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association Great Lakes Region poll, tops among MAC schools, behind four Big Ten schools and Notre Dame. Michigan (23rd nationally) and Michigan State (26th nationally) are ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the region, followed by Notre Dame in third, host Indiana fourth and Ohio State fifth.

At last year’s regional, Miami placed sixth of 24 teams led by a 23rd-place finish from current senior Kelsey McHugh (Columbus, Ohio), who earned all-region honors. Senior Amanda Mirochna (Naperville, Ill.) was Miami’s second finisher a year ago, claiming 30th place. All seven runners who competed at least year’s regional meet for the ’Hawks will again run in 2009 (McHugh, Mirochna, sophomore Maggie Bingham, junior Katie Lenahan, junior Kelley Miller, senior Laura Neufarth and junior Rachel Patterson).

The last individual RedHawk to qualify for the NCAA Championship was Neufarth (Centerville, Ohio) in 2007, when she placed fifth at the Great Lakes Regional and finished 82nd at the NCAA Championship.

Two weeks ago, Miami’s last race, the Red and White claimed a second consecutive MAC crown, beating Toledo by 19 points. Mirochna led the way in third while Neufarth finished fifth, as both earned First-Team All-MAC honors. Four other RedHawks (McHugh, Patterson, Lenahan and Bingham) earned second-team all-league honors by grabbing spots 11-14.

The complete NCAA Championship field, including at-large berths, will be announced Sunday, Nov. 15.

--MURedHawks.com--

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