ERIE, PA - The Gannon University women's cross country team is set to compete at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championship this Saturday, as the Golden Knights look to continue a strong tradition of postseason success. The meet will be hosted by Lock Haven University, with full event information available here.

The championship race will feature the best from across the PSAC, MEC, and CIAA, with the regional meet serving as the qualifier for the NCAA National Championships. The race at the 6K course will begin at 10:30 am.

THE LINEUP

Alexis Abbett (Aspinwall, Pa./Aquinas Academy)

Emily Bowers (Silver Creek, N.Y./Silver Creek)

Megan Ickes (Greenville, Pa./Greenville)

Julia Jackson (Rochester, NY/Webster Thomas)

Jessica McCracken (Limestone, Pa./Clarion-Limestone Area)

Makayla McLister (Butler, Pa./Butler Area)

Anna Rakvic (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin)

Brooke Wissinger (Fombell, Pa./Riverside) (alternate)

Gannon enters the weekend with confidence following Bowers' individual PSAC Championship victory and a team finish of ninth. The program has risen to the occasion at regionals in recent years, and head coach Rob Ahrens sees the group ready to perform at a high level once again:

Ahrens: "Our women's team has historically run very strong at regionals so we're excited to keep that trend going. Our women are ready to do some special things in this race, both from a team and individual perspective!"

NCAA Championship Qualifying Information

Team:
The top three teams from each regional meet will automatically advance to the championship finals (24 teams).

Individual:
1. The top two individuals who are not part of a qualifying team will automatically advance to the championship (16 individuals).
2. All individuals who finish in the top five at the regional meet and are not part of a qualifying team automatically will advance to the championship.

This story was written using the support of AI.