INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The NCAA has announced its field of 32 teams for Saturday's Division III Men's Cross Country National Championship, and for the ninth straight season, the Gators are on the list.
After finishing fourth at yesterday's Mideast regional championships, the Gators received one of the region's two at-large berths, joining Haverford, while Dickinson and Johns Hopkins were automatic qualifiers. The top two teams out of the NCAA's eight regions received automatic berths, while a total of 16 schools from across the country were selected for at-large berths.
This marks the 14th time in program history in which the Gator men will take part in the NCAA National Championship, with the team finishing in the top-15 seven times, and six of the last seven seasons. A total of 10 Gators have earned All-America laurels
after finishing in the top 35 at the championship race.
Last year, the Gators finished 15th at nationals, led by a second-place finish from
Bobby Over, the best performance on the national stage in program history, and second straight All-America nod after finishing 17th in 2011. After taking his third straight Mideast regional championship this past weekend, Over looks primed to repeat his success. Current sophomore
Logan Steiner also put his name on the map at last season's NCAA championship, as he was the top freshman finisher by taking 36th.
Saturday's National Championship will be hosted by Hanover College in Hanover, Ind., and will begin at 12:30 p.m.
