INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The BYU Cougars will be running in the NCAA championships on Nov. 21 after receiving an at-large bid from the NCAA Division I Cross Country Subcommittee on Saturday.
The Cougars were one of fourteen teams selected to compete in the championship race, in addition to the 18 automatic qualifiers. BYU has competed in the race every year since 1999, including in every season under head coach Ed Eyestone.
They earned the bid after placing third in the highly-competitive mountain regional race on Friday. The Cougars have finished on the podium in all five races they have run this season, with victories over 14 of the current top-25 teams in the country.
BYU is led by sophomore Tayvon Kitchen, who finished 32nd overall at the race last year and who finished as BYU's top scorer in each of its first three meets this season. Joining Kitchen is All-Big 12 honoree James Corrigan and senior Isaac Hedengren, the Cougars' low stick in their last two races.
The race will be hosted by Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana on the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. Live coverage of the race will be provided on ESPNU, with the men's race scheduled to begin at 9:10 a.m. MST.