Coe News
Sun, Nov 16, 2008 - [Women's Cross Country]
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa- The NCAA announced today the team and individual qualifiers for the 2008 Division III Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships. Sophomore Ashley Schnell (Lincoln, Neb./North Star) and senior Brad O'Neil (Stuarts Draft, Vir./Stuarts Draft) earned automatic berths into the championship field.

In order to be eligible to participate in the championships, teams and individuals must qualify in their respective NCAA regions.

Schnell placed eighth at Saturday's NCAA Central Regional, while O'Neil earned a ninth place finish. This marks the second-straight year both athletes have qualified for the national championships. Schnell finished 65th of 280 runners last year, while O'Neil took home a 76th place finish of 280.

Thirty-two teams were selected to participate in each championship. The top two, seven-person teams automatically qualified from each of the eight regions, for a total of 16 teams. Sixteen additional teams were selected at-large. Fifty-six individuals, the first seven athletes from each region who are not a part of a qualifying team, were selected to participate in each championship.

Hanover College will host the championships, November 22, at the L.S. Ayres Complex in Hanover, Indiana. The men's race will begin at 11 a.m. Eastern time followed by the women's race at noon Eastern time.