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Saints Women are Set for NAIA Cross-Country Nationals
Posted: Nov 14, 2023

Saints Women are Set for NAIA Cross-Country Nationals

Recap Box Score

KANSAS CITY, MO. (Nov. 14, 2023) - The final field for the 44th annual NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championship has been released as 36 teams and 88 individuals have qualified. The field will prepare to race on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. PT at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course in Vancouver, Wash.

Head Coach Patrick Torres commented, "Our depth this year is what sets this group apart from previous seasons. We have had a lot of women step up on different days and hopefully we can synchronize it this race."

The women's cross-country team won its ninth Red River Athletic Conference title. Freshman Sanai Robinson captured her first Individual Medalist Award with a time of 22:59. Mia Curiel finished third with a time of 24:15. Viridiana Zuniga placed fifth with a time of 24:29, followed by Sierra Ramirez with a time of 24:30 for sixth place and Leilani Leza with a time of 24:31 for seventh place. All were named to the All-Conference team. Other finishers for the Saints were Jocelynn Reyes with a time of 25:35 for 11th place, Valeria Pena with a time of 25:53 for 13th and Daylah Vega with a time of 26:09 for 14th place. All eight will compete at nationals.

Qualifier Notes

  • 2023's championship will be the eighth that has taken place at Fort Vancouver; last year, the meet was held in Tallahassee, Fla.
  • This year's field is made up of 24 automatic qualifiers, 11 at-large berths and one host berth. A team may qualify with an automatic berth by winning its conference championship meet or as the runner-up in the championship meet provided the conference has 12 or more schools and the runner-up is rated in the top 30 of the final NAIA Women's Cross-Country rating.
  • The 11 at-large berths were determined by the final NAIA Women's Cross Country rating and reviewed by the NAIA Women's Cross Country Championship Oversight Committee.
  • In addition to the team qualifiers, 88 individuals qualified for the championship based on their times throughout the year.
  • The 2023 NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championship will be streamed live exclusively on the NAIA Network. To access the live stream or to purchase a race pass, click HERE!