Six SEC teams advance to Cross Country Championships

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Nov. 12, 2022)-----Six Southeastern Conference cross country teams have advanced to the NCAA Championships, according to an announcement Saturday by the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country Committee.

The Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Tennessee men's teams and the Alabama and Arkansas women's teams will compete in the NCAA Championships Nov. 19 in Stillwater, Okla. In addition, four SEC female runners and two male runners not on advancing teams earned bids to compete in the championships.

The Arkansas, Ole Miss and Tennessee men's team and Alabama and Arkansas women's teams earned automatic bids by placing in the top-two of their respective NCAA Regionals on Friday. The Alabama men's squad earned an at-large bid.

The eight SEC student-athletes who will compete individuals are: Parker Valby (Florida), Ryann Helmers (Ole Miss), Tori Herman (Kentucky) and Perri Bockrath (Kentucky) in the women's championship and Ryan Kinnane (Auburn) and Jonathan Chung (Texas A&M) in the men's championship.

In order to be eligible to participate in the championships, teams and individuals qualified at their respective NCAA regional championship competitions.

Thirty-one teams were selected to participate in each championship. The top two, seven-person teams automatically qualified from each of the nine regions, for a total of 18 teams. Thirteen additional teams were selected at-large.

Thirty-eight individuals were selected to participate in each championship through an automatic qualifier and at-large selection process. All individual qualifiers finished in the top 25 in their regions.

The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships will take place Saturday at Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course. The women's race will begin at 9:20 a.m. CT, followed by the men's race at 10:10 a.m. The races will be televised live on ESPNU.

SEC Teams In The NCAA Cross Country Championships

Alabama Men
Alabama Women
Arkansas Men
Arkansas Women
Ole Miss Men
Tennessee Men

SEC Men's Individual Qualifiers (not on advancing teams)

Ryan Kinnane, Auburn
Jonathan Chung, Texas A&M

SEC Women's Individual Qualifiers (not on advancing teams)

Parker Valby, Florida
Ryann Helmers, Ole Miss
Tori Herman, Kentucky
Perri Bockrath, Kentucky