The Eastern Kentucky University women’s cross country team finished third at the NCAA Southeast Regional on Friday morning at Panorama Farms, likely earning the program’s first-ever team trip to the NCAA Championships.
The usually-reliable FloTrack has EKU as one of 13 at-large teams advancing to national championship meet.
The Colonels would be the first-ever Ohio Valley Conference women’s team to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
The official selections will be released by the NCAA on Saturday.
Junior All-American Charlotte Imer led the way, placing third out of 257 runners with a 6K time of 20:15.1
Senior Luisa Boschan was second on the team and 13th overall with a time of 20:40.6.
Imer and Boschan both earned NCAA All-Southeast Region honors for the second consecutive year following the race.
Sophomore Lilian Jeptoo Kiborus finished third on the team and 34th overall in a time of 21:23.4.
Junior Gladys Cheruiyot played a crucial role in the outcome. Cheruiyot had not finished in the team’s top-five since early September; however, she surged ahead on Friday to place fourth on the team and 39th overall with a time of 21:32.9.
Senior Ciara Scott rounded out the Colonels’ scoring five on the day with a 47th place finish (21:43.3).
The N.C. State women won the region with 68 points, followed by Furman with 83 points. EKU took third with 136 points, barely edging Virginia Tech (138) by two points.
The EKU men’s team finished ninth on the day.
Junior Jamaine Coleman paced the Colonels, finishing 20th out of 230 competitors with a 10K time of 29:40.5. Coleman earned All-Southeast Region honors for the first time in his career following the race.
Junior Jaime Romo was second on the team and 45th overall (30:30.5), followed by junior Erick Rotich (62nd / 30:52.0), senior Addison Monroe (65th / 30:53.1) and senior Jakob Abrahamsen (73rd / 31:03.8).
Furman ran away with the men’s title with 55 points, while Virginia Tech finished second to earn the other automatic NCAA bid.
The NCAA Championships will be held on Saturday, November 18, at E.P. ‘Tom’ Sawyer Park in Louisville.
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Steve Fohl
Associate Director of EKUSports Communications
