Five Big Ten women's teams, four men's team advance to NCAA championships

Five Big Ten women?s cross country teams, four men?s cross country squads and three individual participants earned bids to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, to be held Saturday, Nov. 22 in Terre Haute, Ind.

The No. 1 Michigan State women?s team captured the Great Lakes Regional title on Friday, earning an automatic berth to the women?s championships, while No. 20 Minnesota and No. 6 Wisconsin also earned automatic berths after recording second-place finishes in regional action. Earning at-large bids to the championships were No. 8 Michigan and No. 19 Ohio State. Penn State?s Jillian Hunsberger also qualified for the meet.

On the men?s side, No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 27 Michigan State finished first and second, respectively, at the Great Lakes Regional on Friday, securing automatic bids to the men?s championships, while No. 20 Indiana and No. 12 Michigan received at-large bids. Minnesota?s Aaron Bartnik and Penn State?s Matt Fischer also qualified for the championships.

The NCAA Championships will be held at the Lavern Gibson Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 22. The women?s race will begin at noon ET, followed by the men?s race at approximately 1 p.m. ET.