The University of Toledo women’s cross country team has been selected for the NCAA cross country championship meet.
The Rockets, ranked No. 17 in the coaches poll, were an at-large selection. They will be making their fifth appearance in program history and the first since 2014. Sophomore Joy Chirchir competed as an individual last season.
The meet will take place Saturday at Oklahoma State University.
"We are excited and relieved to see it officially on the board. Now we can make plans," third-year coach Andrea Grove-McDonough said. "The goal remains the same, to finish inside the top 20. That would be a major accomplishment for our program."
This will not be Grove-McDonough’s first experience at the championship meet — she coached teams from Iowa State and Connecticut. Toledo’s best finish was 21st in 2011.
UT finished sixth in the NCAA Great Lakes regional meet Friday. The Rockets were one of 13 at-large selections. Toledo is led by Chirchir and senior Faith Linga, who both finished in the top 10 at the Great Lakes meet.
"Toledo has a history of being an NCAA championship team, so we're thrilled and excited to deliver on that promise,” Grove-McDonough said. “I'm excited, first and foremost, for our athletes who have given so much and continue to give us so much, day in and day out. I'm mostly excited for them and for them to see all of their hard work, trust, and belief pay off. I'm excited about it and ready to get to Stillwater."
First Published November 13, 2022, 2:34 a.m.
