Syracuse women fail to qualify for the NCAA Championships, men earn automatic bid

The Syracuse women’s cross country team failed to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships after taking fifth at the NCAA Northeast Regionals this past Friday.

The women needed at least a second place finish to secure an automatic bid to the event and after an inconsistent season, they were unable to secure an at-large bid either. The women have now missed out on the NCAA Cross Country Championships for two consecutive years and three out of the last four.

Looking ahead, the team’s top performers will all return in 2020 and with a healthy Laura Dickenson, the Orange will hope to contend in a tough Athletic Coast Conference.

As for the No. 18 men, their second place finish at Regionals was enough for an automatic bid to nationals. They finished ahead of No. 8 Iona in tough conditions which led to the race being moved to the streets around the University of Buffalo.

The Orange had their top six runners finish within one minute of each other and made up ground in the final four kilometers of the course to secure the bid. 

“The more depth you have the better,” redshirt senior Kevin James said. “Everybody just fights and it is just important to a good cross country team. It has been something that we have always prided ourselves on. Our sixth or seventh guy being better than most team’s fifth guy.”

The NCAA Championships will be held in Terre Haute, Indiana on Saturday. It will mark the 11th straight appearance for the men at the event.