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Lincoln ? Sunday night the No. 29 Nebraska women’s cross country team was one of 13 at-large selections by the NCAA for the upcoming 31 team NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Monday, Nov. 24.
On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Huskers finished third in the NCAA Midwest Regional, one of the toughest regional meets in the country. Four top 30 nationally ranked teams were in the field, including top-15 teams Minnesota (7th) and Illinois (14th), who finished 1-2, respecitively. The Big Red missed out on an automatic bid to the national meet by one spot as the top two teams at the nine regional meets across the nation earn an automatic trip.
“We had a pretty good idea yesterday that we would get it in, but we all had to wait until tonight to find out for sure,” senior Betsy Miller said. “Over the past four years I’ve learned that a great team needs depth and yesterday proved that. Every person made a difference and the race showed that it is true that just a few points can really make the difference.”
As Miller said, a few points made a big difference for the Huskers on Saturday as the defeated Iowa by just two points, 124-126. The No. 20 Hawkeyes also received an at-large bid to the meet.
The 2008 squad will be Head Coach Jay Dirksen’s 14th team on the women’s side to compete at the national meet since the meet started in 1981. The Huskers 14th appearance ranks as the 14th most in the nation, tied with Boston College. The Big Red is one of only 26 programs in the nation with double-digit trips to the national meet and one of 15 at the 2008 meet.
“It feels great to be heading back to the national meet,” Dirksen said. “Our goal every year to make is to make it to the NCAA Championships. Our women have worked really hard this year and it is great to see their efforts pay off.”
Since his arrival in 1983, Dirksen is the only coach in school history to take the women’s team to the national meet and has led the men’s team to nine of its 10 appearances.
The Husker women are schedule to run at 11 a.m. (Central) on Monday on the campus of Indiana State at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course. For more information visit Huskers.com.