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Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska men's cross country team will head to Ames to compete in the NCAA Championships on Nov. 20, the selection committee announced Monday. The Huskers' fifth-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Region meet was enough to qualify the team for the national meet, marking the first time since 1997 that Nebraska will send a men's squad to the big dance.
Despite the fact that the men ran extremely well in Waterloo, Iowa, Coach Jay Dirksen doubted the fifth-place finish at regionals was enough to qualify, but after analyzing the results of the other eight regional meets, Dirksen still held hope. He received the good news via telephone early Monday afternoon.
"I didn't think there was much chance when we left the meet, that we'd be in," Dirksen said. "It's really a great deal for our athletes. Being able to just get to the national meet and getting this experience is vital to continuing the progression of our team. I really think we'll let it all hang out and run our best."