Both of New York University's cross country teams will vie for their respective national championships when the races take place on Saturday, November 18, in Newville, PA.

A pair of second-place finishes at yesterday's NCAA Niagara Regionals were good enough for both squads to receive at-large bids to next week's championships.  

The NYU women are currently ranked #1 in the nation by the U.S. Track & Field  and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Led by University Athletic Association (UAA) Champion Grace Richardson, the Violets will be attempting to win the program's first-ever National Championship.

The squad also competed at the 2022 nationals and finished 26th. The Violets' sixth-place finish in 2013 is the best in program history. 

"We are really excited to return to the national meet for the second straight year," said Head Coach Tyler Deck Shipley. "We gained some valuable experience at this level last year and greatly look forward to racing next week."

The last NYU men's team to qualify did so in 2017 and placed 28th. Ten years early, in 2007, the Violets captured the Division III National Championship.

The Violets, currently ranked #28 in the nation by the USTFCCCA, are led by Ryan Tobin, who qualified as an individual at the last two NCAA Championships and placed second at yesterday's Niagara Regional.

"I could not be more excited for the guys to get the team to the national meet," Deck Shipley added. "Our veterans have been chipping away at this for the last three years and it is great to see their efforts rewarded with a spot at the meet."

Both races will take place at Big Spring High School. The men's 8k will start at 11:00am with the women's 6k to follow at noon.