Crofford Competes at NCAA Championships

Terre Haute, Ind. ? Lara Crofford became the first Husker true freshman to compete at the NCAA Championships since 1999, finishing 85th in the women’s 6K Monday in Terre Haute, Ind.

 

Crofford’s, who finished the race in a time of 21:26.7, was ninth among all freshmen. Big 12 competitor Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech was the overall champion in a time of 19:30.9, while Stanford won the team title.

 

The NCAA Championships were broadcasted live on CSTV for the first time in history, with the show being re-aired Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. (CST).

 

With Crofford’s presence, the Newville, Pa., native gave the Husker women representation at the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in the past seven years. It also marked the 19th qualifier for head coach Jay Dirksen in the past 25 seasons. Before Crofford, Nebraska’s most recent qualifier was Kayte Tranel in 2005 on the same Terre Haute course.

 

As a freshman, Crofford was named to the All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Region teams with top-10 finishes, giving the Nebraska cross country program one of many positives signs for the future.