Photo by: Ohio State Athletics
Santos, Jha Named B1G Preseason Players to Watch
8/22/2024 2:54:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
Buckeyes open campaign Aug. 30 in Akron
COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the first time, the Big Ten Conference has announced a Big Ten Cross Country Runners to Watch List. Buckeyes Zubin Jha of the men's team and Daniella Santos of the women's squad were both recognized. The watch lists were determined by the conference's head coaches.
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Jha, from Worthington, Ohio, has competed in all 20 cross country races over the last four years, including the four Big Ten Championships and three NCAA Regionals in the stretch, and was a counter for the Buckeyes in all seven B1G and NCAA events. At last year's Big Ten Cross Country Championships, Jha placed 18th, the first Buckeye man to post a Top 20 finish since 2016. A computer science and engineering major, he is a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
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A native of Hilliard, Ohio, Santos earned her bachelor's degree in early education this past spring. She is a two-time First Team All-Midwest Region honoree and earned First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2022, with a second-team nod in 2023. She was an individual qualifier to the NCAA Championships last season after finishing seventh at the NCAA Great Lakes Regionals. Santos is a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and an Academic All-Big Ten selection and earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete accolades in 2023-24.
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Jha, Santos and the Buckeyes kick off the year at the Tommy Evans Invitational hosted by Akron in Norton, Ohio, Aug. 30. Regular season meets at Minnesota (Sept. 20), Loyola (Oct. 4) and Wisconsin (Oct. 19) follow. The postseason starts at the Big Ten Championships Nov. 1 in Champaign, Ill., with the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships Nov. 15 in Norton, Ohio, and the NCAA Championships in Madison, Wis., Nov. 23.
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Jha, from Worthington, Ohio, has competed in all 20 cross country races over the last four years, including the four Big Ten Championships and three NCAA Regionals in the stretch, and was a counter for the Buckeyes in all seven B1G and NCAA events. At last year's Big Ten Cross Country Championships, Jha placed 18th, the first Buckeye man to post a Top 20 finish since 2016. A computer science and engineering major, he is a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
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A native of Hilliard, Ohio, Santos earned her bachelor's degree in early education this past spring. She is a two-time First Team All-Midwest Region honoree and earned First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2022, with a second-team nod in 2023. She was an individual qualifier to the NCAA Championships last season after finishing seventh at the NCAA Great Lakes Regionals. Santos is a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and an Academic All-Big Ten selection and earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete accolades in 2023-24.
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Jha, Santos and the Buckeyes kick off the year at the Tommy Evans Invitational hosted by Akron in Norton, Ohio, Aug. 30. Regular season meets at Minnesota (Sept. 20), Loyola (Oct. 4) and Wisconsin (Oct. 19) follow. The postseason starts at the Big Ten Championships Nov. 1 in Champaign, Ill., with the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships Nov. 15 in Norton, Ohio, and the NCAA Championships in Madison, Wis., Nov. 23.
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