Nov. 19, 2010

Race Notes

TULSA, Okla. - The University of Tulsa women's cross country team will make history when the team competes in the Division I NCAA Women's Cross Country Championships Nov. 22.

The No. 26-ranked Golden Hurricane is set to become the first women's team to ever compete at Nationals after they received an at-large bid into the field of 31 teams.

The national championship will be decided on LaVern Gibson Championship Golf Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Ind. The women's 6K will begin at approximately 11:08 a.m.

Tulsa qualified for Nationals following a school-record fourth-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regionals Nov. 13.

The team was paced by junior Paula Whiting, who finished third at Regionals, tying Alex Becker for best Regional finish in school history. Senior Katie Wright finished 12th, and both members of the Golden Hurricane earned All-Midwest Region honors.

In TU's history, only two women have ever competed at nationals. Fride Vullum was the first woman to ever represent Tulsa when she competed in 1998 and 1999. Alex Becker became the second woman to compete, when she qualified as an individual in both 2006 and 2007.

Vullum recorded her best finish in 1998, when she placed 61st. Becker posted the lowest individual finish at Nationals in school history when she finished 15th in 2007.

Tulsa's lineup for Nationals will consist of senior Melanie Cleland, juniors Jacqueline Fairchild and Whiting, sophomores Ashley Scott, Jaclyn Rollins, Erin Huddleston, and freshman Josie Wilcox.