Cross Country Heads to Regional

Nov. 8, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Oklahoma cross country team heads to Peoria, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 10, for the NCAA Midwest Regional hosted by Bradley University.

The men's 10,000-meter race begins at 11 a.m. followed by the women's 6,000-meter race at 12:15 p.m. Both races will be held on the grounds of the Bradley and Newman Golf Course.

The Oklahoma women are coming off a sixth-place finish in the Big 12 Championship and will be lead by senior Jessica Eldridge, who recently claimed her fourth career All-Big 12 honor after finishing seventh overall in the conference title meet.

The OU men will look to rebound from a disappointing ninth-place finish in the conference meet with strong runs from a trio of underclassmen in sophomores Jon Grey and Rob Sorrell and freshman Kevin Schwab.

The top two teams from the Midwest Regional will advance to the 2007 NCAA National Championships along with the top two teams from eight other NCAA Regionals. The remainder of the 31-team NCAA Championships field will consist of 13 at-large teams selected by the NCAA Division I track and field sub-committee.

In addition to the teams qualifying for the NCAA Championships, thirty-six individuals automatically qualify for the race on the basis of finishing in the top four at their respective NCAA Regionals and not being on an advancing team. Two additional individuals are selected at-large by the committee to round out the field of 255 competitors. All individual qualifiers must finish in the top 25 of their event.

The 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championships are hosted by Indiana State University and are scheduled for Monday, Nov. 19, in Terre Haute, Ind.

Eldridge was the only Sooner to advance out of last year's NCAA Regional, finishing fourth en route to her third-career All-American honor after finishing 18th in the NCAA National Championships.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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