Release by Director of Athletic Communications Luke Tracy 

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (11/06/2023) – From running laps around the Rindge Campus to taking strides on the national stage, the Franklin Pierce men's cross-country team is officially heading to Joplin, Missouri in two weeks to compete in the 2023 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.

The NCAA announced the participating programs who qualified Tuesday evening.  

According to the association, in order to be eligible to participate, teams and individuals had to qualify in their respective NCAA regional competitions that were held this past weekend.

That bench mark was cleared during the programs standout performance at the Regionals hosted by Franklin Pierce on Saturday at the Hopkinton Fair Grounds. Flying through home turf, junior runner Wondu Summa crushed the course and crossed the finish line a whole nine seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. "The men performed very well on the day and we had some standout performances – none more impressive than the dominant race up front by Wondu Summa," said Franklin Pierce Cross Country/Track and Field Head Coach Zach Emerson. The race marked the fourth first place finish for Summa during the 2023 fall season.

The Ravens flocked the leaderboard at the fairgrounds with the team's top five runners all finishing in the top 30, including Ryan Outerbridge and Ryan Walker who both earned All-Region. As a team, the Ravens took third place which ultimately punched their ticket to compete in Missouri.  

Looking ahead, the program is heading to the Division II National Championships for the third time in school history and the second time in two years. "Having had the experience making last year's championships, the boys have been eager to return to the national stage all year," said Emerson. "This time, light years more prepared to do their best."

On Sunday, November 18 the Ravens will be one of 34 teams running the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin, Missouri. Hosted by Missouri Southern State University, the women's race will kick off at 11 a.m. ET followed by the men's race at 12:15 a.m. ET.

A live web stream of the championships will occur on www.ncaa.com from 11:00 am ET until the end of the awards ceremony.

To view the full release with information and teams that will take part, click here.