Women Finish Second at NCAA Regionals to Clinch NCAA Berth

Results

COLUMBUS, Ohio – They are in! The Ohio State women’s cross country team is heading to the NCAA Championships after a runner-up finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Friday morning in Terre Haute, Ind., to earn an automatic bid. The Buckeyes will be making the fourth appearance as a team in the NCAA Championships, joining the 2009, 2014 and 2019 squads. This was the second runner-up finish for the Buckeyes at regionals, with the first in 2009.

The No. 25-ranked Buckeyes had 111 points as a team, with three finishers in the Top 10, to edge out Michigan by five points for the second NCAA automatic spot. Notre Dame was the regional team champion. Ohio State entered the race ranked sixth in the region, with Notre Dame first and Michigan fourth.

All-Region Buckeyes

• Individually, three Buckeyes finished in the Top 10 to earn All-Great Lakes Region honors.
• Addie Engel was the runner-up, earning her second all-region accolade after a third-place finish last season.
• Daniella Santos was seventh, with Andrea Kuhn
• This is the fourth time Ohio State had three all-region selections (2009, 2019).
• This year’s trio also finished in the Top 7 at Big Ten Championships to earn all-conference laurels.
• The three have been in the Top 10 in all six races they have run this year, with Engel in the Top 2 in all six.

Love this team! That’s a big Q for the Buckeyes @OhioStateTFXC https://t.co/Rykjf2pSzh

— Sara Vergote (@vergotes) November 11, 2022

Women’s 6K Recap

• All five Buckeye counters ran personal bests en route to a second-place team finish.
• Addie Engel, Daniella Santos and Andrea Kuhn were among the Top 20 throughout the race.
• Engel moved from fifth to second over the final 2k, finishing in a personal-best time of 19:57.8. Her previous best, set at NCAA regionals last season, was 20:59.6. She was 3.7 seconds behind the race winner from Notre Dame.
• Daniella Santos gained eight spots from the 4k mark to the finish line, coming in seventh with her Buckeye best time of 20:14.5.
• Andrea Kuhn gained 10 spots over the last 2k of the race to move to ninth in 20:16.1.
• Santos and Kuhn both ran their personal bests, improving from the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago (Santos – 20:15.8/Kuhn – 20:18.7).
• Akemi Von Scherr was fourth for the Buckeyes and 32nd overall in a time of 20:54.4, passing her personal best of 20:57.1, set at Texas A&M earlier this year.
• Freshman Audrey DeSantis rounded out the Buckeye Top 5 to seal the runner-up finish, as she was 61st in 21:25.8, nearly 13 seconds better than her career best from Texas A&M (21:38.2).
• Gia Napolean and Annie Allen closed out the Buckeye roster at regionals, placing 86th and 118th, respectively.

NCAA Championships Up Next

• The NCAA Championships will be held in Stillwater, Okla., Nov. 19.
• The race will be televised by ESPNU, with the women’s 6k at 10:20 a.m. ET.

👀 Addie Engel and the Buckeyes!#NCAAXC #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/c0nF3aWkwQ

— Ohio State T&F/XC (@OhioStateTFXC) November 13, 2022

NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships
Nov. 11, 2022
Terre Haute, Ind.
*indicates Ohio State PR

Women’s 6K
2. Addie Engel (19:57.8)*
7. Daniella Santos (20:14.5)*
9. Andrea Kuhn (20:16.1)*
32. Akemi Von Scherr (20:54.4)*
61. Audrey DeSantis (21:25.8)*
86. Gia Napolean (22:04.1)
118. Annie Allen (22:27.0)