Nationally Ranked Women's Cross Country Secures NCAA At-Large Bid

November 15, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 15, 2010) -- The NCAA Division III Cross Country Committee Monday announced that the No. 23-ranked SUNY Plattsburgh women's squad and the men's team member Mike Heymann have qualified for the national championships that take place Saturday in Waverly, Iowa. The men's 8-kilometer race will start at noon followed by the women's 6k at 1 p.m., and the event will be hosted by Wartburg College on the Max Cross Country Course. Click here for the NCAA Cross Country Championship website.

Heymann, a senior from Tully (N.Y.) High School, appears individually in the national meet by virtue of his second-place finish at the Atlantic Regional Championships last weekend in Oneonta. He is a two-time All-American making his third trip to the NCAAs, where he finished ninth last season and 20th as a sophomore. With a season's best time of 24 minutes and 30 seconds, he will be one of the favorites to win medalist honors as he will look to improve on his national meet personal-record of 24:49.88 set during the 2008 NCAA Championships.

As a team, the Plattsburgh men just missed consideration for a NCAA berth after placing sixth in the Regionals.

On the women's side, the Cardinals return to the national rankings picture on the heels of a fourth-place showing in the regional meet. Plattsburgh received 92 points in this week's U.S. Cross Country Coaches' Association Top-35 poll, and is the second-highest ranked school (behind No. 7 Geneseo) out of the State University of New York Athletic Conference.

Junior Brittany Trahan (Rouses Point, N.Y./Northeastern Clinton) was among five Cardinals who garnered all-region accolades last Saturday, finishing the course in 23:02 for 21st place. Freshman Kelley Driscoll of Geneva High (23rd, 23:09), junior Stefanie Braun of Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills (24th, 23:11) and junior Julia Warren of Middletown High (25th, 23:13) followed close behind Trahan. Colleen Cotey, a junior from Norwood-Norfolk High, completed the Cardinals’ top five in 31st place with a time of 23:20.

Plattsburgh is making its sixth NCAA appearance in school history and first since 2007, when the Cardinals were the national runners-up.