The 30th-ranked Nebraska Kearney men’s cross country team is headed back to the NCAA Championships for the third time in four years with junior Ella Buhlke representing the Loper women.
The men’s team and Buhlke (Central City) received at-large berths to the meet which will be held Nov. 23 in Sacramento (Arcade Creek Course at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex). The field consists of 34 teams per gender, 24 that automatically qualify (top three in each of eight regional meets) while the remaining 10 are at large selections. A minimum of 24 additional individuals were selected to participate in each championship through an automatic qualifier and at-large selection process.
The UNK men grinded its way through another successful season, overcoming injuries and illness along the way. The veteran squad was fifth out of 31 teams at last Saturday’s NCAA Regional meet in Joplin and finished third in the 12-team MIAA Championships Oct. 26 in St. Joseph. During the regular season, the Lopers had four top four finishes, placing ahead of their peers to rack up quality “wins”.
The team’s top seven finishers the past two weeks have been All-MIAA seniors Payton Davis (David City Aquinas), Sam Lueders (Blair), and Brett Schoenhofer (Andover, Kan.), senior Zach Van Brocklin (Cortland), All-MIAA junior Nick Abdalla (Omaha South), sophomores Evan Caudy (North Platte) and Juan Garcia (Grand Island), and redshirt freshman Mesuidi Ejerso (South Sioux City).
The 26th-ranked UNK women just missed out on qualifying for the second time in program history, but Buhkle joins Kaci Lickteig (2006) and Morgan Benesch (2015 & 2016) as Lopers to qualify as an individual. She earned both All-Region and All-MIAA this fall and had three top 14 finishes during the regular season.
The meet will be aired live at ncaa.com
UNK Men’s Cross Country Team Finishes at the NCAA Championships
2024 – TBA
2022 – 22nd (509 points)
2021 – 25th (596)
2015 – 15th (400)
2013 – 17th (417)
1999 – 14th (337)
1995 – 7th (205)
1994 – 4th (200)
1992 – 3rd (105)
1991 – 2nd (96)
1990 – 8th (223)
UNK Women’s Cross Individual Qualifiers at the NCAA Championships
2024 – Ella Buhlke (TBD)
2016 – Morgan Benesch (31st)
2015 – Morgan Benesch (27th)
2006 – Kaci Lickteig (39th)
