Shufelberger Earns Bid to NCAA Cross Country Championships
Mar 07, 2021 | Cross Country
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State will be represented at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma on March 15, as sophomore Jaybe Shufelberger received an at-large invitation to the national championship, which will take place on the prominent OSU Cross Country Course.
"Jaybe had a very good cross country season this past fall," said head coach Ryun Godfrey. "I'm excited that she has qualified for the NCAA Championships that will be held next week. It will be a great opportunity for her."
Shufelberger becomes the first Wildcat since Laura Galvan in 2014 to earn an at-large spot to the NCAA Championships, which were moved from the fall to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was one of 38 individual participants, outside of the 31 automatic team qualifiers, to receive an invitation to the championships.
No fans and spectators will be allowed at men's and women's races at the NCAA Championships.
"I am beyond excited and so grateful to get the chance to compete at the national stage," said Shufelberger. "This is such an amazing opportunity and getting this experience will fuel my drive to get more opportunities like this one."
The selection is just another piece of hardware to Shufelberger's trophy case, as the Topeka, Kansas, native has become a consistent force in the Big 12, earning back-to-back All-Big 12 Cross Country selections in 2019 and 2020.
Shufelberger helped K-State post its best finish in seven years at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships back on October 30, 2020, as she produced her best performance at the conference meet with a ninth-place finish with a time of 21:22.6. The Wildcats collected a fifth-place team finish with 134 points – its best finish since a tie for fifth in 2013 – as five runners finished in the Top 40.
Shufelberger will be joined at the national championships by Big 12 teams Iowa State, West Virginia and host Oklahoma State, which all received at-large team invitations. Iowa State won the women's 6k race with 39 points, while West Virginia (66) and Oklahoma State (71) finished just behind at third and fourth overall at Rim Rock Farm.
National programs Arkansas (No.1), BYU (No. 2), New Mexico (No. 3), Stanford (No. 4) and N.C. State (No. 5) all made the field, as they hold the top rankings in the country for the USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll.
The 2021 championship will air on ESPNU. The individual and team championships are scheduled for an 11:30 a.m., start.
For the latest on K-State cross country follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
"Jaybe had a very good cross country season this past fall," said head coach Ryun Godfrey. "I'm excited that she has qualified for the NCAA Championships that will be held next week. It will be a great opportunity for her."
Shufelberger becomes the first Wildcat since Laura Galvan in 2014 to earn an at-large spot to the NCAA Championships, which were moved from the fall to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was one of 38 individual participants, outside of the 31 automatic team qualifiers, to receive an invitation to the championships.
No fans and spectators will be allowed at men's and women's races at the NCAA Championships.
"I am beyond excited and so grateful to get the chance to compete at the national stage," said Shufelberger. "This is such an amazing opportunity and getting this experience will fuel my drive to get more opportunities like this one."
The selection is just another piece of hardware to Shufelberger's trophy case, as the Topeka, Kansas, native has become a consistent force in the Big 12, earning back-to-back All-Big 12 Cross Country selections in 2019 and 2020.
Shufelberger helped K-State post its best finish in seven years at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships back on October 30, 2020, as she produced her best performance at the conference meet with a ninth-place finish with a time of 21:22.6. The Wildcats collected a fifth-place team finish with 134 points – its best finish since a tie for fifth in 2013 – as five runners finished in the Top 40.
Shufelberger will be joined at the national championships by Big 12 teams Iowa State, West Virginia and host Oklahoma State, which all received at-large team invitations. Iowa State won the women's 6k race with 39 points, while West Virginia (66) and Oklahoma State (71) finished just behind at third and fourth overall at Rim Rock Farm.
National programs Arkansas (No.1), BYU (No. 2), New Mexico (No. 3), Stanford (No. 4) and N.C. State (No. 5) all made the field, as they hold the top rankings in the country for the USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll.
The 2021 championship will air on ESPNU. The individual and team championships are scheduled for an 11:30 a.m., start.
For the latest on K-State cross country follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
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