On Saturday, November 18, the nation’s best collegiate runners will face off at the 2023 NCAA Cross-Country Championships. After months of heavy mileage and hard fought performances to qualify, Division I programs around the country will descend on Charlottesville, Virginia, for the ultimate team showdown. Here is everything you need to know, including broadcast schedule and storylines, about the Big Dance this weekend.
How to Watch the 2023 NCAA Cross-Country Championships
Streaming Information: The championships will be shown live on ESPNU and ESPN+ on Saturday, November 18. The broadcast begins at 9:30 a.m. ET.
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Where: This year, the meet will take place at Panorama Farms in Earlysville, Virginia (just outside of Charlottesville).
When: The women’s 6K race starts at 10:20 a.m. ET, and the men’s 10K race begins at 11:10 a.m. ET.
Race preview: Women’s championship
Heading into the women’s race, Northern Arizona University (NAU) has risen through the ranks of national coaches’ poll and enters as the pre-race favorite. After spending years in the shadow of the men’s program that’s won six national championships in the last seven years, the women have emerged as title contenders in their own right.
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The Lumberjacks’ progression started to take shape last year, when they finished sixth overall at the 2022 NCAA Cross-Country Championships—a huge improvement from the team’s 23rd-place showing in 2021. This year, NAU has been dominant with decisive wins at the Virginia Invitational, Nuttycombe Invitational, Big Sky Conference Championships, and NCAA Mountain Regional. Should they continue the momentum at the NCAA meet, the Lumberjacks would claim the program’s first national title in history.
Also gunning for the top of the podium will be defending champions North Carolina State. Unlike the last two seasons in which the Wolfpack entered the meet ranked No. 1 and came out on top at the national meet, the team heads to Charlottesville ranked No. 2 after losing to the Lumberjacks at the Nuttycombe Invitational in October. But the Wolfpack should never be counted out, especially with four-time NCAA champion Katelyn Tuohy leading the charge.
Also highlighting the team race, No. 3 BYU, No. 4 Oklahoma State, and No. 5 Stanford will be putting forth their squads’ best efforts to make the podium this weekend.
In the individual race, the big showdown will be between Tuohy and Parker Valby of Florida. The rivalry heated up during the 2022 cross-country season, which ended in a thrilling battle at the NCAA championships. In an attempt to run away with the crown, Valby put a gap between herself and the chase pack around 2K, but Tuohy chased her down in the last 1,000 meters to win. Earlier this season, Valby beat Tuohy at the Nuttycombe Invitational. This Saturday, Tuohy will be aiming to become the first runner since Sheila Reid in 2010 and 2011 to win back-to-back cross-country titles.
Race preview: Men’s championship
The No. 1 NAU men’s squad is projected to face a tight battle between No. 2-ranked Oklahoma State. In the most recent national coaches’ poll, just one point separates the Lumberjacks from the Cowboys in the rankings.
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Last year, the men’s team title ended in a thrilling tiebreaker between Oklahoma State—running on their home course—and NAU, the heavy pre-race favorite. In the end, NAU won with 83 points and earned the program’s sixth NCAA title. It was the first time in Division I men’s cross-country history that a tiebreaker determined the champion.
This year, the Cowboys are looking for redemption and the program’s first NCAA crown since 2012. While both teams have dominated their respective conference and region meets, they have yet to race against each other this season, until now.
No. 3-ranked BYU is another powerhouse program looking to win its first national title since 2016, when the Cougars became the first team to break NAU’s winning streak at the NCAA meet. No. 4 North Carolina, No. 5 Texas, and No. 5 Wisconsin will round out an exciting team clash up front.
In the individual race, the NCAA title is up for grabs between a handful of contenders. Nico Young of NAU could come out on top to score huge team points. Freshmen Denis Kipngetich or Brian Musau of Oklahoma State could answer the challenge up front. Ky Robinson of Stanford is fresh off winning the NCAA West Regional and will aim to defend Stanford’s individual crown earned by his former teammate Charles Hicks last year.
And then there’s Graham Blanks of Harvard, who stunned at Nuttycombe with a runaway victory over Young and has been running strong ever since. In the same race, freshman Habtom Samuel of New Mexico finished third against the veterans, showing his prowess against a stacked field. Plus, ACC champion Parker Wolfe of North Carolina will aim to continue his stellar season for the Tar Heels.
Source: https://t-tees.com
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