CHICAGO – The Loyola University Chicago men's and women's cross country teams are set to compete in the 2024 NCAA Midwest Regional Cross Country Championships tomorrow (Nov. 15). The Women's 6K race will begin at 11 a.m. CT, with the Men's 10K race to follow at noon. Live timing will be available via Shazam Racing while the races will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The Ramblers hold impressive regional rankings in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCCA) Midwest Region, with the men's team ranked No. 7 and the women's team ranked No. 8, heading into Friday.
Loyola Chicago most recently competed in Mechanicsville, Va., at the 2024 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships at Pole Green Park. The Rambler women won their third straight Atlantic 10 Championship. The win marked their sixth consecutive conference title, following three Missouri Valley wins in 2019, 2020, and 2021. The men's team finished in second place in the 8K race.
The Rambler women secured first place with an average race time of 20:49.92. Delia McDade-Clay, Emma Watcke, Grace Kuhn, and Roisin Treacy finished together at 20:45.4 to claim the title, taking spots four through seven. The time also set personal records for Watcke and Treacy.
James Lawrence led the Rambler men, finishing third with a time of 23:48.8, just one-tenth of a second off his PR. Miles Clisham took seventh with a time of 24:12.3, while Jake Phillips finished 11th in 24:22.9. Samuel Field followed closely in 13th with a time of 24:23.0.
With the conference championships behind them, Loyola Chicago now sets its sights on a strong performance at regionals, aiming to secure spots in the D-I Cross Country Championships. Last season, the fourth-place finish by the men tied their best finish at regionals, which they achieved in 2022.
Advancing to the NCAA National Championships requires team or individual qualification at the regional level. The top two teams from each of the nine regional meets automatically qualify, totaling 18 teams, while an additional 13 at-large teams are selected based on season and regional results, bringing the total to 31 teams. For individuals, the top four finishers at each regional meet who are not part of a qualifying team advance to nationals, with two additional at-large individuals selected based on their season and regional performances.
To earn All-Region honors at an NCAA Regional Cross Country meet, a runner must finish in the top-25 individually, an accolade awarded by the USTFCCCA.
Advancing teams will compete for a national championship on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Wisconsin will host the championship meet at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in Madison.
