Nov. 12, 2007

Chestnut Hill, Mass. - The Boston College women's cross country team received an at-large bid into the NCAA Championship after a third place performance at the Northeast Region Championship, the league announced Sunday.

This year's qualification marks the team's third-consecutive bid into the tournament. Thirty-one teams are selected overall, with the top two teams from each region getting the automatic bid and 13 other teams selected at-large. The women will take a seven-person team to the Championship held on Nov. 19.

Senior captain Patrick Mellea earned his second-consecutive individual bid into the Championship after his sixth-place performance at the Northeast Regionals. Overall, the first four athletes from each region who are not part of a qualifying team and two additional qualifiers were selected to participate.

Indiana State University will host the 2007 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship at the LaVern Gibson Championships Course in Terre Haute, Ind. The men's race will begin at noon eastern standard time followed by the women's race at 12:55 p.m. Both races will be broadcast live on CSTV.