University of Southern Indiana Women’s Cross Country placed fifth at the NCAA II Midwest Region Championships Saturday at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course in Cedarville, Ohio.
With only the top three teams automatically advancing to the NCAA II Championships, USI will look to receive one of eight at-large bids into the 32-team field.
Junior Hope Jones (Cumberland, Indiana) was the first Screaming Eagle to cross the line in the 6k event, placing sixth in 21 minutes, 42.8 seconds. Jones narrowly missed automatically qualifying as an individual—the top two individuals and any individual in the top five not on an advancing team qualify for the national championships.
Jones would have an opportunity to receive one of eight individual at-large bids if the Eagles did not receive a team bid.
Next across for USI was junior Melina Gryschka (Garbsen, Germany) in 23rd with a time of 22:13.1. Jones and Gryschka each earned All-Midwest Region honors for finishing in the top 25.
Following Jones and Gryschka, freshman Jennifer Comastri (Indianapolis, Indiana) placed 30th in 22:32.8. Completing the five scorers for the Eagles were Jessica Lincoln (Palatine, Illinois) and Kate Henrickson(Boonville, Indiana) in 36th and 42nd, respectively. Lincoln finished in 22:42.2 and Henrickson in 22:49.9
The NCAA II National Championships are November 18 at Angel Mounds in Evansville, Indiana.
