Pitt State cross country prepares for central regional in Joplin

WATCH: Pitt State men’s and women’s cross country teams prepare for Saturday’s central regional in Joplin.

RELEASE FROM PITTSBURG STATE ATHLETICS:

The Pittsburg State University men’s and women’s cross country teams will travel to Joplin, Mo., Saturday (Nov. 6) to compete in the 2021 NCAA Division II Central Regional.The Central Regional Championships will be held at Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course on the campus of Missouri Southern State University with the women’s six-kilometer race beginning at 10 a.m. (CDT). The men’s 10-kilometer race will follow at 11:15 a.m.The top three teams in each of the women’s and men’s fields earn automatic qualifying berths into the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championships, while 10 at-large berths spread out among the nation’s eight regions will be determined when the complete national women’s and men’s fields are revealed next Monday (Nov. 8).The Pitt State women enter the meet ranked seventh in the most recent Division II Central Region poll conducted by the USTFCCCA. The Gorillas placed third at the 2021 MIAA Championships.Augustana (S.D.), Mary (N.D.) and Minnesota Duluth, also from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, are the top three ranked squads in the Central Region field. MIAA champion Nebraska-Kearney is ranked fourth, followed by Minnesota State and Central Missouri.The Pitt State women are seeking their 14th all-time trip to the NCAA Division II National Championships and their fourth straight appearance after qualifying each year from 2017-19.The Pitt State men are the second-ranked squad in the Central Region and the No. 6 team in NCAA Division II. The Gorillas captured the program’s first-ever MIAA title two weeks ago at Kearney, Neb.NSIC champion Augustana is the region’s top ranked squad. The Vikings are No. 4 in the national poll. MIAA members Missouri Southern, Northwest Missouri and Neb.-Kearney round out the top five regional teams.The Pitt State men are seeking their sixth all-time trip to the NCAA Division II National Championships, the program’s first appearance since 2009.

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