Huskies advance to NCAA nationals as at-large selections...

INDIANAPOLIS--One day after both University of Washington cross country squads finished third at the NCAA West Regional championships at Chambers Creek Regional Park, the NCAA officially announced that the teams will advance to next week's national championship meet in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

For the Husky women, this marks the fifteenth straight season that they've competed at the national championships.

They were led by Sophie O'Sullivan (Kim Spir photo), who finished ninth at the regionals, covering the 6k course in 19:35, and Anna Gibson, who was 13th in 19:39.

Despite not having former Pac-12 cross country champion Haley Herberg, who Washington director of cross country & track and field Maurica Powell held out of the meet to protect an injury she incurred earlier in the season, the Dawgs managed to get all five scorers inside the top 40 in finishing behind auto qualifiers Stanford and Oregon.

Joining them out of the West region are fourth place finisher Oregon State, led by former Seattle Pacific All-American and yesterday's individual winner Kaylee Mitchell, and fifth place Cal Baptist, which will make its first ever appearance at the Division I championship after moving up from Division II, where the Lancers were a powerhouse.

The Husky men join auto qualifiers Stanford, and Gonzaga, as the Dawgs qualified for the national championships for the sixth straight season.

Washington will be led into Stillwater by Brian Fay, who pulled away in the last kilometer to win the West regional crown in 28:18, and Luke Houser, who was ninth in 28:38.

All five Washington scorers were inside the top 35 in the race.

Joining Stanford, Gonzaga, and Washington out of the West is Oregon, who finished fourth with 141 points, four better than Cal Baptist's 145.

Individuals with Washington ties who are going to nationals include Olivia Markezich of Notre Dame, Taylor Roe and Jonas Price of Oklahoma State. Their teams finished in the top two at their regionals Friday. Former Husky Shona McCullough, who is a graduate student at Syracuse, also will run as the Orange finished second in their regionals.

Next week's NCAA championships will be televised live on ESPNU starting at 7am, pacific, or on the ESPN app.

The NCAA's release is available here.

NOTE: The NCAA, and the sports information offices of the University of Washington, and Gonzaga University contributed to this report.

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