Both Syracuse teams earn automatic bids to NCAA Championship

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After strong performances by the men’s and women’s cross country teams at Friday’s Northeast Regional, both teams earned the automatic bid to next week’s NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma. 

SU’s men’s squad took home the title at the 8k regional, marking its eighth North East Regional championship in the last nine times the race has been held. They were led by redshirt junior Nathan Lawler (29:39.1), who was the team’s top finisher in sixth place. Next for the Orange was senior Paul O’Donnell (29:41.1) in eighth and redshirt senior Noah Carey (29:45.2) in 11th.

Freshman Assaf Harari (29:53.0), redshirt senior Nathan Henderson (30:03.3), and redshirt junior Matthew Scrape (30:06.7) rounded out the men’s finishers, placing 17th, 23rd and 27th, respectively.

The Orange tallied 65 points in their win, 24 points ahead of second place Harvard. Cornell, Providence and Iona finished third through fifth, respectively.

On the women’s side, SU came up short and took second place, 20 points behind Providence. Yet SU’s 91 points put them eight points ahead of third place Columbia, earning the Orange a spot at nationals. Harvard and Northeastern finished 4th and 5th.

They were led by redshirt sophomore Savannah Roark (20:25.6), who placed a team-high second place. Followed were redshirt juniors Eleanor Lawler (21:04.5) and Sophia Jacobs-Townsley (21:06.0), both placed in the top 20, finishing at 18th and 20th, respectively. Senior Abigail Spiers (21:09.2) finished soon after in 24th, and redshirt senior Ivy Gonzales (21:10.6) placed 27th, rounding out the Orange’s top-five scorers.

Redshirt senior Shona McCulloch (21:22.4) and sophomore Olivia Joly (21.24.4) finished in 36th and 40th place, respectively, rounding out the SU women. 

The Orange will return to Stillwater for the second time this year on Saturday, Nov. 19, where both squads will compete for the NCAA Cross Country Championships.