SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For the past 24 years, Stanford has advanced both its men's and women's teams to the NCAA Cross Country Championships and will attempt to extend that record streak on Friday at the NCAA West Regionals.
Stanford will attempt to repeat its men's and women's sweep of 2016, when the meet was last held at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex.
The top two teams in each race advance. Others must hope for at-large bids, which are determined by a point system that reflects each team's season success against those who have already gained entrance.
Both teams appear in good shape, either as an automatic qualifier or through an at-large berth. The Stanford men repeated as Pac-12 champions two weeks ago and are ranked No. 2 in the West and No. 5 in the country, and the Cardinal women are No. 3 in the West and No. 6 in the country.
In all, 18 teams around the country in each of the men's and women's divisions receive automatic bids and 13 earn at-large berths. In addition, the top four individuals not on qualifying teams (as long as they place in the top 25) will earn passage to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 17 in Madison, Wis. Finally, two individuals from around the country (with top-25 finishes) will receive at-large bids.
Here are some details and links concerning Friday's meet:
NCAA West Regionals
Where: Haggin Oaks Golf Complex.
City: Sacramento.
Women's start: 11 a.m.
Women's distance: 6K (3.73 miles)
Men's start: noon.
Men's distance: 10K (6.2 miles)
Automatic team qualifying for NCAA's: Top two
Automatic individual qualifying: Top four not on those teams, finishing in top 25.
Follow the meet:
Live results: Click here.
Flotrack premium webstream: Click here.
Entries: Click here.
Twitter: @StanfordXCTF
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Stanford Men's Overview: Stanford enters NCAA competition on a high, with individuals finishing 1-3-4 to lead the Cardinal to its second consecutive Pac-12 championship, on Oct. 26 at Stanford Golf Course. Grant Fisher became the first Stanford male since Grant Robison in 2001-02 to win back-to-back individual titles. Alex Ostberg was third (a second consecutive top-four finish) and Alek Parsons fourth.
The regional is the first race at the 10K distance, an increase from the regular-season distance of 8K and the distance of the NCAA Championships eight days hence. The regional field includes eight teams ranked among the nation's top 30, including five in the top 11.
Stanford, third last year, will be aiming for its 16th regional title and 25th consecutive NCAA Championships team appearance. Maksim Korolev in 2014 was Stanford's most recent individual winner.
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Stanford Women's Overview: Stanford comes into the race as the third-ranked team in the region, which includes five teams in the national top 20.
If Stanford requires at-large consideration, the Cardinal is in good position by virtue of its head-to-head victories against strong competition at the Pre-Nationals and at the Pac-12 Championships. Stanford was third in both races, which included victories over these current top-30 teams: No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 16 Furman, No. 17 Washington, No. 18 Notre Dame, No. 22 Southern Utah, and No. 29 Georgia.
Stanford is led by fifth-year senior Elise Cranny, who was third in the Pac-12's on Oct. 26 and third in this race in 2014.
Stanford, second last year, last won the regional title in 2016 and has won 15 regional team titles overall, but no Cardinal has won the individual title since Teresa McWalters in 2007. Stanford is seeking its 26th consecutive NCAA championships appearance.
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Stanford's Team Honors:
Men
NCAA Titles: 4 (1996, 1997, 2002, 2003).
NCAA West Regional Titles: 15 (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016).
Individual Regional Titles: 8, Jonathon Riley (2000), Donald Sage (2001-02), Ian Dobson (2003), Ryan Hall (2004), Neftalem Araia (2006), Chris Derrick (2009), Maksim Korolev (2014).
Women
NCAA Titles: 5 (1996, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007).
NCAA West Regional Titles: 15 (1982, 1984, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2016).
Individual Regional Titles: 9, Ceci Hopp (1982), Louise Watson (1992), Julia Stamps (1999), Alicia Craig (2002-04), Arianna Lambie (2005-06), Teresa McWalters (2007).
