University of Tennessee Athletics
No. 16 Lady Vols, Christopher Middleton-Pearson Earn Bids to NCAA Cross Country Championships
November 16, 2024 | Cross Country
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Saturday, the 16th-ranked Lady Vols and Christopher Middleton-Pearson received bids to the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Madison, Wisconsin.
The Lady Vols have qualified for the national meet in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2005-06.
After placing fourth at the NCAA South Regional in Tallahassee, Florida, the Lady Vols received an at-large bid, joining fellow South Region teams Alabama, Florida, Florida State, and Lipscomb. Of the nine women's cross country regions, the South Region has the most qualifiers, with five teams advancing.
Two-time All-South Region runners Ashley Jones and Jillian Candelino will lead the women's team into the national meet. Joining them in Madison will be Caroline Lyerly, Rachel Sutliff, Rebecca O'Keefe, Jaci Sievers, Andie-Marie Jones and Summer Schuster.
Last season, the Lady Vols finished sixth nationally after an impressive run at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia. Candelino, Jones, Lyerly, and Sutliff were among UT's five scorers at last year's national meet.
For the men, Middleton-Pearson earned an automatic bid to the national championships with a fourth-place finish at the regional meet. The first-year Vol completed the 10k course at Apalachee Regional Park in a personal-best time of 29:44.8.
The NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday, Nov. 23.
The Lady Vols have qualified for the national meet in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2005-06.
After placing fourth at the NCAA South Regional in Tallahassee, Florida, the Lady Vols received an at-large bid, joining fellow South Region teams Alabama, Florida, Florida State, and Lipscomb. Of the nine women's cross country regions, the South Region has the most qualifiers, with five teams advancing.
Two-time All-South Region runners Ashley Jones and Jillian Candelino will lead the women's team into the national meet. Joining them in Madison will be Caroline Lyerly, Rachel Sutliff, Rebecca O'Keefe, Jaci Sievers, Andie-Marie Jones and Summer Schuster.
Last season, the Lady Vols finished sixth nationally after an impressive run at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia. Candelino, Jones, Lyerly, and Sutliff were among UT's five scorers at last year's national meet.
For the men, Middleton-Pearson earned an automatic bid to the national championships with a fourth-place finish at the regional meet. The first-year Vol completed the 10k course at Apalachee Regional Park in a personal-best time of 29:44.8.
The NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Players Mentioned
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