THIS WEEK'S MEET

• This Saturday, the No. 6 University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's cross country team will be competing for the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship in Saint Leo, Fla. The Mountain Lions will be running against the top 33 teams in Division II beginning at 6:30 a.m. (MT) from the Abbey Golf Course.

 
MEET INFORMATION

• Course | Location: Abbey Golf Course | Saint Leo, Fla.
• Distance: 6k
• Live Results: https://results.leonetiming.com/XC.html?mid=4685
• Live Video: https://www.ncaa.com/event/4103

 
LAST TIME OUT

• UCCS came home from the NCAA South Central Regional meet in Lubbock, Texas with a third place finish (109 points) and an automatic bid to the NCAA National Championship meet. Layla Almasri led the Mountain Lions with her second straight runner-up finish.  Almasri, who was just six seconds off the leader, ran a personal best time of 20:24.3.  Riley McGrath came in second for UCCS and 13^th overall with PR time of 21:09.1.  Also finishing in the 21-minute mark with personal best times were Kate Hedlund (21:28.0, 24^th place) and Anna Fauske in 35^th place with a time of 21:48.5.  Closing out the Mountain Lions scorers was Hannah Ellis with a mark of 22:10.8 to place 50^th overall.

 
MOUNTAIN LIONS COMPETING AT NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (6K PR TIMES)

• Layla Almasri (20:30.9, Nov. 6, 2021 at NCAA South Central Regional)
• Sarah Bassett (22:19.3, Nov. 6, 2021 at NCAA South Central Regional)
• Hannah Ellis (22:04.0, Oct. 24, 2020 at RMAC Championship)
• Anna Fauske (21:48.5, Nov. 6, 2021 at NCAA South Central Regional)
• Kate Hedlund (21:28.0, Nov. 6, 2021 at NCAA South Central Regional)
• Riley McGrath (21:09.1, Nov. 6, 2021 at NCAA South Central Regional)
• Kelsey Rycenga (23:02.1, Nov. 6, 2021 at NCAA South Central Regional)

 
NCAA DIVISION II SELECTIONS

• A total of 34 teams were selected for the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship Cross Country meet. The top three teams from each regional meet automatically advanced to the championship finals (24 teams). Ten at-large teams were selected by the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Cross Country Committee using selection criteria. There was no limit to the number of at-large teams that may be selected from any given region.

 
THE FIELD
Women's Qualifying Teams, Region

• #23 Academy of Art, West
• #1 Adams State, South Central
• American International, East
• Anderson (South Carolina), Southeast
• #3 Augustana (South Dakota), Central
• #14 Chico State, West
• #12 Cedarville, Midwest
• Charleston (West Virginia), Atlantic
• #16 Colorado Christian, South Central
• #5 Colorado School of Mines, South Central
• #T6 Colorado-Colorado Springs, South Central
• #25 CSU Pueblo, South Central
• #19 Dallas Baptist University, South Central
• Edinboro, Atlantic
• #2 Grand Valley State, Midwest
• #22 Hillsdale, Midwest
• #4 Lee, South
• #17 Lewis, Midwest
• #21 University of Mary, Central
• # 18 Minnesota Duluth, Central
• Mississippi College, South
• #T6 Queens (North Carolina), Southeast
• Roberts Wesleyan, East
• #15 Saginaw Valley State, Midwest
• Seton Hill University, Atlantic
• #9 Simon Fraser, West
• #10 Southern Indiana, Midwest
• Saint Leo, South
• Stanislaus State, West
• Stonehill, East
• #8 Wingate University, Southeast
• Walsh, Midwest
• #11 Western Colorado University, South Central
• #24 West Texas A&M, South Central

 
NATIONAL MEET HISTORY

• Layla Almasri and Hannah Ellis will be making their second and third appearances at the NCAA National meet.  Ellis' first appearance was in 2018 when she finished in 104^th place with a time of 24:25.8.  The following season she crossed the finish line in 22:34.4 in 183^rd place.  Almasri ran in her first national championship meet in 2019, earning a 62^nd place finish in 21:18.2. 
• Ellis is the sixth Mountain Lion to qualify for the national championship meet at least three times (Katie Novak, Sam Bauer, Sarah Shephard).  Two Mountain Lions have qualified for the national meet all four years – Kayla Wooten and Shannon Payne.  Almasri is the 24^th Mountain Lion to qualify for multiple national championship meets.
• Saturday will mark the 12^th time in program history UCCS has competed in a national meet as a team.  Their highest team finish was 7th place in 2006 and the highest individual finish came from Shannon Payne in 2008 when she placed third overall in 21:29.

 
USTFCCCA ALL-AMERICAN AWARDS

• The top 40 finishers at Saturday's race will earn 2021 All-USTFCCCA All-America honors.  The All- America teams will be announced on Monday, November 22, followed by the National Athletes and Coaches of the Year of the Year on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

 
WEATHER FORECAST

• Temperatures will be in the high 60's when the starting gun is fired on Saturday.  Racers will be running with a wind out of the Northeast at 13mph and in 87 percent humidity.

 
2021 AWARD WINNERS

• Layla Almasri led three women's cross country runners to all-region status.  Almasri, who was also named all-region in 2019, finished second overall at the regional meet on Saturday.  Riley McGrath and Kate Hedlund collected their first all-region recognition.  McGrath came in second for UCCS and 13^th overall with PR time of 21:09.1.  Also finishing in the 21-minute mark with a personal best time was Kate Hedlund (21:28.0, 24^th place).
• Three Mountain Lions ran to all-conference accolades on Oct. 23 at the RMAC Championship meet: Layla Almasri (First Team), Hannah Ellis (First Team), and Anna Fauske (Second Team).
• UCCS posted a league high 14 selections to the 2021 RMAC All-Academic Team, including the most selections on the First Team: Layla Almasri (First Team), Hannah Ellis (First Team), Riley McGrath (First Team), Nadine Almasri (Honor Roll), Sarah Bassett (Honor Roll), Liz Bindert (Honor Roll), Ashley Frye (Honor Roll), Emily Gentry (Honor Roll), Rachel Goodrich (Honor Roll), Kate Hedlund (Honor Roll), Mason Ingallinera (Honor Roll), Elizabeth Richter (Honor Roll), Rachel Richtman (Honor Roll) and Kelsey Rycenga (Honor Roll).

 
NATIONAL RANKINGS

• Each week the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces Regional (Tuesday's) and National (Wednesday) rankings.

2021 USTFCCCA DII XC NATIONAL RANKINGS

• Nov. 10 (Week 7)
  • No. 6
• Oct. 27 (Week 6)
  • No. 6 (FINAL - South Central Ranking: No. 3)
• Oct. 13 (Week 5)
  • No. 6 (South Central Ranking: No. 3)
• Oct. 6 (Week 4)
  • No. 6 (South Central Ranking: No. 3)
• Sept. 29 (Week 3)
  • No. 7 (South Central Ranking: No. 3)
• Sept. 22 (Week 2)
  • No. 9 (South Central Ranking: No. 3)
• Sept. 15 (Week 1)
  • No. 9 (South Central Ranking: No. 3)
• Sept. 1 (Preseason)
  • No. 12 (South Central Ranking: No. 4)

 
UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH COREY KUBATZKY

• Corey Kubatzky is in his seventh year with the UCCS cross country and track and field programs in 2021-22, serving as head coach for the women's cross country team as well as coaching the distance and middle distance women runners for indoor and outdoor track & field.
• Kubatzky and the Mountain Lions won all three regular season meets in 2020, beginning with home wins at the UCCS Rust Buster and the UCCS XC Open, before besting all eight teams at the West Texas A&M Buffalo Stampede.  UCCS wrapped up the COVID-19 shortened season with a fifth place at the RMAC Championship meet, hosted by UCCS at Monument Valley Park, behind four All-RMAC performances: Layla Almasri (first team), Hannah Ellis (first team), Riley McGrath (second team) and Molly Weir (second team).  Academically, 10 Mountain Lions received RMAC All-Academic accolades: Layla Almasri, Hannah Ellis, Vanessa Roybal, Sarah Bassett, Natalie Church, Emily Gentry, Jenny Smith, Meg Super, Erika Timbang, and Molly Weir.

 
SOCIAL

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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.