NEWBERG, Ore. -- For the third consecutive season, both the George Fox men's and women's cross country teams have qualified for the NCAA National Championships.

Fox first qualified for the championships in 2022, where the women finished 16th and the men placed 17th; in 2023, the men placed 11th and the women came in 19th. Now, the Bruins look to improve on both of those scores and cement themselves as a national force.

"It's great to be headed back to nationals," Bruin head coach Mike Wilson, "We've had a bit to overcome this year, and the teams have stayed resilient and focused on going after another national bid. Three years in a row for both teams is a first in the NCAA era for our teams, so we're looking forward to it."

Austin Gappa and Breanna Schmitt led each of their teams, respectively, with the Bruins totaling five All-Region athletes overall. The men placed third in the NCAA West Regional in Estacada, Ore. while the women placed fourth, meaning neither team had punched their ticket automatically. Instead, both teams were selected as at-large bids. 

And even with the teams qualifying for nationals, Wilson knew that the teams still had more in the tank — and thankfully for the Bruins, they'll be able to prove themselves in a familiar location.

The 2024 NCAA National Championships will take place in Terre Haute, Ind. at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course; in October, Fox traveled to compete under the lights in the D-III National Preview meet, with the men placing third and the women finishing ninth.

"Pre-nationals was well worth the trip to get an early look at the course," Wilson said, "We were able to preview it, race it, and get an overall good feel for it. Late November weather in Indiana is different from early October, but we're well prepared for that."

Gappa and Schmitt were once again the top finishers for the Bruins in the National Preview, with Schmitt coming in ninth and Gappa finishing seventh. The Bruins got a good view outside of their region as well, facing teams like MIT and Wisconsin-Whitewater. But more important for Wilson than individual positioning or teams faced is getting back to basics.

"I think we've been overly focused on taking on teams and at points have lost sight of running our style of racing," the Bruin coach said, "If we can lock in and get back to running George Fox XC, I think we have a pair of teams that will demolish their national rankings going into this meet."

The women's race is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. PST, while the men's is slated for 9:00 a.m. PST, with live video, stats, and ticket information all available on the GFU Athletics website.