TicketsThe Bearcats teams reported their highest ever combined team finish at the Regional Championship meet with the men's team placing 8th and the women's team placing 11th. Notre Dame won both team titles. Alec Sandusky and Ellie Leather both qualified as individual competitors for the NCAA National Championship Meet. This is the first time ever UC has sent both a male and female athlete to the National Championship meet, with Leather as the first female athlete competing at the meet in UC history.
2X NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS ‼️
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) November 13, 2021
Ellie Leather joins Alec Sandusky to qualify for the NCAA National Championship meet as the first ever UC women's XC athlete to qualify! pic.twitter.com/4vt8Mu2C0H
Alec Sandusky placed 6th in the Men's Championship 10k with a time of 30:01.1. This earned him an automatic spot in the NCAA National Championship meet next weekend in Tallahassee, FL, as well as recognition as an All-Region Performer.
🗣NCAA FINALS BOUND🗣
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) November 12, 2021
Alec Sandusky takes 6th place at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship meet in the Men's 10k with 30:01.1 to earn him an auto-bid to the NCAA Finals race in Tallahassee, FL next week‼️ pic.twitter.com/bz25sispBx
Ellie Leather qualified for the NCAA National Championship as well and earned all-region honors with 14th place in the Women's Championship 6k with a 20:14.1, a Personal Record by 45 seconds. The NCAA Selection show revealed on November 13th that Leather earned an individual qualifying spot after the at large team qualifiers were announced. This makes Ellie Leather the first ever UC women's Cross Country athlete to qualify for the Naional Championship Meet.
Ellie Leather is an NCAA All-Region Performer ‼️
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) November 12, 2021
Her 14th place 20:14.4 finish in the Women's 6k earned her All-Region Honors - Tune in to the NCAA XC selection show tomorrow at 5 p.m. EST to see if she qualifies for NCAA finals. pic.twitter.com/0qm1cXaAz5
// MEN'S RACE
The men's race was tight throughout the first 8k with a large group sticking together in the front of the pack. Sandusky stuck with this group and made his move with 1k left to pull into the 6th place position to earn his spot at NCAA finals.
The entire men's squad was able to gain position throughout the entire 10k. Julius Hild was the second Bearcat to cross the finish line with a 30:53.6, earning him 39th place. Hild made his way up from 85th place at the 2000m mark, consistently gaining ground and making up places. Toni Baños finished closely behind Hild with a 51st place finish in 31:07.0. The entire team's efforts earned them 8th place, the highest team finish since the 1995 team also placed 8th at regionals.
// WOMEN'S RACE
The women's squad ran another historic race for UC Women's cross country, as they scored the lowest number of points in UC history, tying the highest team place on record with an 11th place finish. Leather led the team in this finish, hanging with the top girls throughout the entire 6k and breaking away into the top 15 group during the final 2k of the race.
Following Leather on the Bearcats' team was Maddie Walker, finishing in 57th with a 21:10.1, another Personal Record. Lauren Kemper was the UC women's third runner, moving up 10 places in the final 1k to take 93rd in 21:51.3. The team's goal had been to have the 5 scoring runners in the top 100, which was exactly what they did with Carmela Henning and Sam Mikula finishing 97th and 99th in the final two scoring spots.
// 2021 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship
Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 • Angel Mounds • Evansville, IN
// Interviews
Hear from Coaches Lara Rogers and Lucas Rothenberger and athletes Ellie Leather and Alec Sandusky after the race:
Hear from Coaches Lucas Rothenberger and Lara Rogers and top UC finishers Alec Sandusky and Ellie Leather on today's performance at the NCAA Regionals meet: pic.twitter.com/6vVSsiavZU
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) November 13, 2021
// RESULTS
Results from the Men's 10k Championship - Tying our highest ever team place from 1995 with an 8th place team finish! pic.twitter.com/0mfkLp1a54
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) November 12, 2021
Results of the Women's Championship 6k - Tied with our highest team finish placing from 2008 and 2019 with our lowest point total ever! pic.twitter.com/SVG3erfaGs
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) November 12, 2021
Women's Championship 6k Race Results
14. Ellie Leather – 20:14.4*
57. Maddie Walker – 21:10.1*
93. Lauren Kemper – 21:51.3
97. Carmela Henning – 21:57.5
99. Sam Mikula – 21:59.2
152. Maggie Breitenstein – 22:46.7
155. Jodie Pierce – 22:48.9
Men's Championship 10k Race Results
6. Alec Sandusky – 30:01.1
39. Juliud Hild – 30:53.6
51. Toni Baños – 31:07.0
60. Jonathan Harley – 31:12.2
62. Tyler Wirth – 31:13.1
80. Christian Stevens – 31:47.1
96. Matt Hoak – 32:00.8
*Personal Record
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
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