Chanticleers XC to Compete in Southeast Regionals
11/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field/Cross Country
CONWAY - The Coastal Carolina women's cross country team along with a lone runner, Hutson Baumann, from the men's team will be competing in the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional on Friday, Nov. 11, morning into the afternoon. University of Virginia will host the meet at the Panorama Farms course in Earlysville, Va.
The women's 6K will begin at 11:00 a.m. and the men's 10K will follow at 12:00 p.m.
The Chanticleers will be competing against a handful of nationally ranked teams, including host University of Virginia women's (#10 regionally; NR nationally) teams.
Women's Preview
The Coastal Carolina women's team will have nine runners competing in the NCAA Regionals on Friday. Last year the team placed 17th overall with two runners finishing in the top 35.
"We are looking to have a strong team finish on the women's side, they are capable of a top 15 finish which would be our highest in 10 years," said head coach Jeff Jacobs. "We are also hoping to extend our streak of individual qualifiers to the national meet."
The Chanticleers raced on this course earlier this season when Virginia hosted the Panorama Farms Invitational in September. Overall, the women's team placed sixth out of 13 teams against a handful of nationally ranked teams.
Sun Belt individual champion and two-time Sun Belt Runner of the Week, Annie Bothma, finished second overall earlier this season at the Panorama Farms Invitational. Bothma will be making her debut in the regional event and is hoping to qualify for the Nationals.
Aynslee van Graan, First Team All-Sun Belt selection and a Sun Belt Runner of the Week, is seeking to improve on her 53rd place finish last year in this event.
Following Aynslee is teammate and sister Kyla van Graan, a Second Team All-Sun Belt member who finished 36th last year in this event and is looking for her second time qualifying for Nationals since 2014.
Rounding out the rest of the women's team is Alesia Muklebust, Alyssa LeClaire, Rachel Byrd and Kayla Tracy which will be hoping to push this team into the Nationals and set personal records.
Men's Preview
The Coastal Carolina men's team will have a single runner competing in the NCAA Regionals on Friday, with the rest of the team recovering from nagging injuries.
Baumann, Third Team All-Sun Belt, will be making his debut running in the NCAA Southeast Region championships.
"Hutson is ready for a high individual finish and to gain some experience in his first NCAA DI regional championship," Jacobs stated.
Advancement to National Championship Qualifications
From each of the nine regions the top two teams automatically qualify, and top four individuals on a non-qualifying team. In addition 13 more teams are chosen at-large and two more individuals. The women's team is looking to continue getting an individual into the Nationals. A top 25 individual finish is also necessary to advance individually and is awarded All-Region honors. The women's team has a shot at a top 15 finish which would be their highest finish since 2006 (10th). Women have been ranked as high as seventh in the region this year, and are currently unranked.
