For the first time since 2012, both 乐播传媒 cross country teams qualified for the NCAA Championships in the same season. They are traveling to聽Winneconne, Wis., to compete Saturday against the nation’s best.
鈥淎lthough we run separate programs, we are totally invested in each other鈥檚 program,鈥� men’s cross country head coach Al Fereshetian said. 鈥淭his is what you want to happen 鈥� both teams to have success and have the chance to get out there and compete at nationals.鈥�
The teams share striking similarities. Both the women and the men entered New England Regionals ranked No. 24 in the country. They both finished in sixth place at regionals, and they both qualified for nationals this year after coming up just short last season.
鈥淓specially after the result from last year, this year was just a whole different feeling,鈥� said women’s cross country captain Ayden Eickhoff 鈥�19 of Corvallis, Mont. 鈥淎fter we found out the guys鈥� team was going too, we knew it was just going to be more of a communal competition over there, and we鈥檙e really excited about it.鈥�
This marks the sixth time in program history the men have qualified for NCAAs and the fifth time for the women. This is the women’s team’s second trip to nationals in the last three years.
鈥淣ationals is always hard,鈥� women’s cross country head coach Jay Hartshorn said. 鈥滻f it doesn鈥檛 feel hard, you鈥檙e not working hard enough. You just have to prepare for how hard the experience is going to be and being really ready to put it all out there.鈥� 聽聽聽聽聽
