2024 NCAA Southeast Regional: Western Carolina Cross Country Teams Compete for National Championship Spots

2024 NCAA Southeast Regional: Western Carolina Cross Country Teams Compete for National Championship Spots

November 15, 2024 Catherine Williams - Chief Editor Sports

Cullowhee, N.C. – The Western Carolina men’s and women’s cross country teams will compete in the 2024 NCAA Southeast Regionals. This event is crucial as teams aim for NCAA National Championship spots.

A total of 45 teams will race at Winthrop Farm course in Rock Hill, S.C. The top two teams in each category will secure automatic bids to the NCAA National Championships in Madison, Wisconsin, next week. Additionally, the top four individual finishers who are not on the qualifying teams will also earn bids.

The women’s 6K race starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by the men’s 10K at 11:30 a.m.

The Catamounts will field a full team of male runners after a strong performance at the Southern Conference Cross Country Championships. Runners Drew Zink, Logan Gullett, Lawson Mecom, Chase Thurber, Matthew Womack, John Davis, and Justin Hayes will represent the team.

For the women, Katherine Hopkins and Peyton Skoglund will compete. They aim for individual qualification to the national championship after leading the team’s performance in the conference championships.

This regional meet is the Catamounts’ first appearance in Rock Hill since 2018, where Kaitlyn Lingard set the women’s 6K record at 21:11. Historically, the top five times in WCU’s women’s 6K list occurred during NCAA Regional competitions, and the team hopes to achieve excellent results this season.

Meet Information:

  • Event: 2024 NCAA Southeast Regional
  • Location: 1162 Eden Terrace, Rock Hill, S.C. 29730
  • Live Results: Link
  • Schedule:
    • 10:30 a.m.: Women’s 6K
    • 11:30 a.m.: Men’s 10K

Participating Teams:

Appalachian State, Bellarmine, Charleston Southern, Charlotte, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Davidson, Duke, East Carolina, Elon, Eastern Kentucky, Furman, Gardner-Webb, George Mason, Hampton, High Point, James Madison, Kentucky, Liberty, Longwood, Louisville, Morehead State, Murray State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, North Carolina State, Northern Kentucky, Presbyterian, Radford, Richmond, South Carolina, South Carolina State, Southern Indiana, The Citadel, UNC Asheville, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Greensboro, USC Upstate, Virginia, VCU, VMI, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Western Carolina, Western Kentucky, William and Mary, Winthrop, Wofford.