Lewis-Clark State Cross Country will send both teams to the 2023 NAIA Cross Country National Championships in Vancouver, Wash., on Nov. 17 with both teams ranked in the top-20. In the final polls released on Tuesday, the Warrior men climbed three spots to No. 15 while the women moved up one spot to No. 18.
The Warrior women are making their 23rd straight trip to nationals while the men are nationals-bound for the 20th consecutive season.
The moves come after both LC State teams placed third at the Cascade Conference Cross Country Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, last Friday against stacked fields. No. 1 College of Idaho won the women’s title while No. 5 Eastern Oregon took the men’s title. Brooklyn Shell and Geraldin Correa led the women with all-conference finishes while Kobe Wessels paced the men to earn All-Cascade Conference honors.
36 teams and 88 individuals make up the women’s field, while 36 teams and 85 individuals complete the men’s field. The Cascade leads the NAIA with the most schools in each race.
The Cascade Conference will be well represented at the national championships with five teams in each race. Top-ranked C of I earned the women’s automatic bid for the conference, while No. 7 Southern Oregon, LC State and Eastern Oregon earned at-large berths. Oregon Tech was given the CCC’s host berth. Evergreen State and Northwest will be represented by individuals in the race.
Fifth-ranked EOU leads the field of CCC teams on the men’s side, followed by No. 7 College of Idaho. Two sets of Warrior teams are in the mix with LC State and No. 17 Corban earning at-large berths along with C of I, and Multnomah was awarded the conference’s host bid. Individuals from Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon will also compete at the national championships.
UP NEXT
LC State will race for race for national accolades at the 2023 NAIA Cross Country National Championships on Vancouver, Wash., on Nov. 17. The women will race at 10:30 a.m. with the men following at 11:30 a.m.
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