The University of Hawai'i women's cross country team will compete in the NCAA West Regional Championships, Saturday, Nov. 13, at Springfield Country Club in Springfield, Ore.

 

The women's 6K race begins at 9:45 a.m. PT (7:45 a.m. HT) and will include a field of 30 teams. The top two teams from the regional automatically qualify to the NCAA Championships, Nov. 22, in Terre Haute, Ind. In addition at-large bids for teams and individuals, based on performance at the regionals, will be selected on Sunday.

 

The University of Oregon and Springfield Country Club are hosts of the NCAA West Regional for the third time in the last four years.

 

UH is led by senior Ashley Aitken, who has been the team's top finisher all season long. She placed 14^th overall at the Western Athletic Conference Championships two weeks ago and ran a personal best 17:10 at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational earlier this season.

 

Aitken, who missed last year's regionals, will lead a contingent of six Rainbow Wahine to the competition. Others competing are Liisa Cushing, Ashlee Jimenez, Dominique Miller, Kevyn Murphy, and Alison Williams.

 

What: NCAA West Regional Championships

Date: Saturday, Nov. 14

Time: 9:45 a.m. PT / 7:45 a.m. HT

Where: Springfield Country Club; Springfield, Ore.

 

UH at the NCAA West Regional Championships: The Rainbow Wahine have competed as a team in the NCAA West Regionals 20 times since 1981. UH fielded only individuals three other times, including last year when Jessica Forrester was the team's lone competitor. UH's best team finish was ninth in 2002, held at the Stanford Golf Course. That same season, Victoria Chang placed 12th individually. UH's top individual performance at the NCAA West Regional was Cheryl Smith's eighth place finish in 2001.