Cross Country to Race at NCAA Division III East Regionals Saturday

BOSTON – Suffolk men's and women's cross country will run against the best-of-the-best in the region Saturday, Nov. 12 as the Rams trek to Brunswick, Maine for the 2022 NCAA Division III East Regionals hosted by Bowdoin. The women's 6k gets the day going at 11:00 a.m., with the men's 8k following an hour later. Members of Ram Nation can watch the race live here.   

SOCIAL SAYINGS
Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

REGIONAL RUNDOWN
For everything there is to know about the 2022 NCAA Division III East Regionals, visit the tournament central page here.

EVENTS SCHEDULE
9:00 AM – Course Opens
10:30 AM – National Anthem 
11:00 AM – Women's 6K Race
12:00 PM – Men's 8K Race
1:00 PM – Awards Ceremony

THE COURSE
The men and women will each be competing on a course that surrounds Bowdoin's athletic complex. A map of the men's 8k can be found here, with the women's 6K outline here. 

TO BE THE BEST, YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE BEST
The NCAA DIII East Regional is one of the most competitive in the country.  

On the women's side there are four programs ranked nationally in No. 7 MIT, No. 16 Bates, No. 28 Tufts and Bowdoin, who is receiving votes.   

A quartet of men's teams are in the latest national poll in No. 2 MIT, No. 17 Colby, No. 31 Tufts and No. 30 Bates.  

AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
With the 10-region set-up, there will be one automatic qualifier at each region handed out to the top place team.  

AT-LARGE BIDS
Teams who do not top their respective fields Saturday will still have a chance to make the NCAAs as 22 at-large bids for squads will be awards. Additionally, the top seven individuals from each regional, 70 total, who did not qualify with their team will earn a bid to the national championship as well.  

The entire 2022 NCAA DIII Cross Country Championship field will be announced on NCAA.com on Sunday, Nov. 13 before 3 p.m.  

ALL-NEW ENGLAND UP FOR GRABS
There are two all-region teams, one given the by the USTFCCCA and the other handed out by the DIII New England Association. 

In order to garner USTFCCCA All-East Region, an individual must place in the top 35 Saturday, while the top 20 finishers at Franklin Park will be awarded All-New England from the DIII New England Association.

RAMS RUNNERS
Suffolk is sending a hefty contingent to Vacation Land to compete at regionals with each team bringing nine student-athletes. 

RAMS REGIONAL HISTORY
Suffolk's men's team will run at the event for the fourth straight time and sixth time in program history. The Rams, who debuted on the regional scene in 2009, had their best team showing in program history with a ninth-place finish. 

The women on the other hand have raced in six regionals. A year ago, Suffolk women put their best regional race together a 12th-place finish.  

LAST TIME OUT [ MEN ] 
Suffolk men's cross country put together a second-place showing at the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championships Saturday afternoon at Rotary State Park. The runner-up performance is the second straight season and second-time in program history that the Rams claimed second in the league title race.  

MORE READING: Men's Cross Country Finishes as Runner-Up at CCC Championships

LAST TIME OUT [ WOMEN ] 
For the second year in a row, Suffolk women's cross country earned the top place on the podium at the 2022 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship.  

MORE READING: CCC Champions! Women's Cross Country Repeats as League Champions 

REGIONAL RANKS
In the latest U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCCA) Regional Rankings the Rams women earned the highest place in program history at eighth, while the men took ninth. 

MORE READING: Men's Cross Country Secures Ninth in East in USTFCCCA Regional Poll | Women's Cross Country Ranked Eighth in East in Latest USTFCCCA Rankings

ALL-LEAGUE ACCOLADES
The Rams women garnered a record-number of Al-CCC accolades as six student-athletes picked up all-conference at the 2022 CCC Championships Nov. 1. Katelynn Brunt, Ellie Davis, Skyler Goodman, Amy Pattelena and Sarah Roberts and achieved the feat for the first time in their collegiate career, while Sydney Fogg picked up her second All-CCC recognition in as many years.

On the men's side, Hayden Green collected All-CCC.  

MORE READING: Green Garners All-CCC | Women's Cross Country Sees Six Pick Up All-CCC 

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Pending Saturday's showing, Suffolk's season will either continue onto the 2022 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, which are on tap for Saturday, Nov. 19 at Forest Akers East Golf Course in Lansing, Mich.