Two Wildcats Earth Bers into NCAA Cross Country Championships
Nov 18, 2003 | Cross Country
Manhattan, Kan.-With their performances at last weekend's NCAA Midwest Region Cross Country Championships, K-State runners Trisha Culbertson and Mathew Chesang earned berths into the NCAA Cross Country Championships to be held on Monday, November 24, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the NCAA announced today. Culbertson and Chesang earned the right to run in the final meet of the season by garnering all-region honors at last weekend's regional championships. After finishing seventh last year, Chesang earned his second consecutive all-region honor by placing third at the meet in Stillwater, Okla.
Chesang's performance was the second highest finish in Kansas State history at the meet, only to be surpassed by Shadrack Kimeli, who won the individual title at the meet in 2001.
After already earning all-conference and all-region honors, Chesang can achieve all-American status if he finishes in the top 30 at the national championships.
With the men running a 10,000-meter race at the championships, Chesang looks to have a good shot at accomplishing the feat as he holds the school record for a 10,000-meter race.
Like Chesang, Culbertson secured a berth in the championships by finishing ninth at the regional meet last weekend. For the first time in her career, Culbertson earned all-region honors for her performance.
Currently, Culbertson holds the sixth fastest time in school history at the 6,000-meter distance.
At the championships, hosted by the University of Northern Iowa, the men will run a 10,00-meter race at 11:00 a.m., followed by the women, who will run in the 6,000-meter race at 12:15 p.m.
Although the Wildcats failed to qualify as a team for the championships, K-State is the only school from the Big 12 Conference to have two individuals earn the right to compete for an individual national championship.
