Up until last Saturday, the Women’s and Men’s Cross Country teams ran as a group; however, on November 19th, they ran for individual titles at the NCAA Divison III Championship. The two Stockton athletes that qualified for the championship in Lansing, Michigan, were Jaelyn Barkeley and Cooper Knorr. Barkeley competed in the 6k, and Knorr competed in the 8k.

Based on her consistent performance this season, Barkeley’s 7th place ranking out of 170 runners in last week’s race came as no surprise. The sophomore has been in at least the top 20 in every match gaining points for her team. The same goes for Knorr; he has been leading his team in finishes and even placed 2nd in the Osprey Open.

Unfortunately, none of the runners were a part of the top 40 that received medals this Saturday; however, the future looks bright for the Ospreys. Barkeley is only a sophomore, and the improvement she has made so far shows that the young athlete can make another appearance at the NCAA championship.

For a recap of the championship, click this link: https://www.ncaa.com/event/4230