Miller, Rye Earn Berths to NAIA Nationals
Oskaloosa–Andrew Miller (Jr., Le Claire, Iowa, Exercise Science) and Claire Rye (Fr., Plymouth, Iowa, Biology) had to patiently wait a few more excruciating days, but finally learned on Tuesday that their tickets to cross country nationals were punched.
Miller will compete in the 70th Annual Men’s NAIA National Championship, while Rye will appear in the 46th Annual Women’s NAIA Championship. Both events will be held next Saturday, November 21 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla. with the women racing at 7:30 a.m. (Central) and the men following at 8:30 a.m. (Central).
Both individuals will be making their first appearances at the Championships, earning those bids after additional Heart of America Athletic Conference teams also locked up spots Tuesday. Miller needed Mount Mercy to finish in the top 30 in the NAIA’s coaches poll to open up more individual berths, while Rye’s spot was reliant on Mount Mercy and Missouri Baptist both making the field.
Miller placed 14th at last weekend’s Heart Championship with a time of 25:12.6. The qualification marks the fifth-consecutive year that William Penn has had a representative in the national field.
Rye finished 19th at the Heart Championship with a school-record time of 22:46.1. She is the program’s first national qualifier since 2013.
