Adams, Crofford To Make the Trip to the NCAA Championships

Lincoln - With the release of the field for the NCAA Championships on Sunday night by the NCAA, senior Lara Crofford and junior David Adams are the lone Huskers to make the trip to the meet. Crofford will be making the trip to the NCAA Championships for the fourth consecutive year. Following a 6th-place showing at the NCAA Midwest Regional on Saturday in Springfield, Mo., Crofford was an automatic qualifier from the Midwest Region. With Adams 8th-place finish he too was an automatic qualifier from the Midwest Region.

A native of Newville, Pa., Crofford first ran at the NCAA Championships as a true freshman in 2007, where she finished 85th after also earning an at-large bid. In 2008, she led the Husker women to their first trip to nationals since 2003, where she improved to 45th in the individual standing, while the team placed 25th. Crofford received the only bid for the Huskers last season as she placed 116th at the meet.

Adams, a junior from York, Neb., continued to lead the way for the Huskers, finishing eighth (30:00.1) overall to earn his second career All-Midwest Region honor. His eighth place finish earned him an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, this will mark Adams first trip to the NCAA Championships. He will be the first husker male to run at the Championships since James Bowler in 2001.

Crofford and Adams automatic bids continues the long success of Head Coach Jay Dirksen at the national meet, as the Husker leader will coach a runner at the meet for the 26th time in his 28 seasons at NU.

The NCAA Championships will once again be hosted by Indiana State University on Monday, Nov. 22 at La Vern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind. The women's race will be first at Noon, with the men to follow at approximately 1 p.m. (Eastern). A live webcast of the championships will be broadcast from noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time.