KUTZTOWN, PA. (November 16, 2009) –
The Kutztown University women’s cross-country team will participate
in the 2009 NCAA Division II national championship meet on Saturday,
November 21 at the University of
Southern Indiana Cross Country Course in Evansville, Indiana. The
women’s race will begin at 1 p.m. Eastern time.
The Golden Bears
finished second at the Atlantic Regional meet at Mansfield on Nov.
7. Kutztown turned in a strong effort after finishing
fifth at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
championship meet. Kutztown is competing in the NCAA
championship meet for the first time since 2006.
“The women were
determined to redeem themselves after the PSAC meet,” veteran head
coach Ray Hoffman said. “They got the job done. Every single one of
them and that’s not easy to do at regionals. I was so proud of them
after their performance at regionals. We are definitely happy to be
going to nationals again. The goal is to finish at or better than
our national ranking going into the meet.”
Representing
Kutztown will be junior Cristina Reimer (Chester
Springs/Downingtown East), senior Cheryl Dingman
(Lansdale/North Penn), senior Steph Grimm (Fleetwood/Oley
Valley), junior Kristin Cupido (Bridgewater,
NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan), senior Maureen Watson
(Walnutport/Allentown Central Catholic), freshman Becca
Brandt (Cleona/Cedar Crest) and junior Keri Brown
(Southampton, NJ/Seneca).
Kutztown was ranked
16th in the final regular season United States Track and
Field Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national poll.
The Golden Bears were ranked nationally in all four October polls.
They peaked at 16 in the Oct. 28 poll.
“It means everything
to be able compete at nationals,” Grimm said. “This is my first full
(and last) season of cross country. I never ran in high school; I
only did two years of track. I got a stress fracture last season
after my second meet, so I wasn't able to finish out the season. I'm
so grateful coach gave me the opportunity to run with such a
talented and close-knit team. I'm proud to run with these girls and
represent KU at nationals.”
A total of 368
participants (184 men and 184 women) will compete in the
championships. All regions automatically qualified two teams of
seven student-athletes each. Additional berths were awarded to the
regions with the first eight team finishers at the 2008 NCAA
Division II Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships.
All regions
automatically qualify the top two individuals from non-qualifying
teams. In addition, all individual competitors who finish in the
top five overall places in their respective regional meet and are
not a member of a qualifying team automatically advance to the
championships.
“I can't express how
happy, excited and proud that we made it to the NCAA championships,”
Cupido said. “It means the world to me. I, personally, have been
waiting for this my entire running career. Not qualifying (for NCAA
championships) two years in a row really gave us the extra
motivation to make it. I am so excited that we made it as a team
because it is going to be such a great experience and a lot of fun.”
NOTES:
Kutztown finished 14th in 2006, its highest finish in
program history. Grand Valley State enters the meet as the No. 1
ranked team in the final USTFCCCA regular season poll. Adams State
has captured six consecutive NCAA titles.
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