SEATTLE, Wash. – The Lee University men's cross country team is among 34 teams getting ready to compete at the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championships. The 10K race will be hosted by Seattle Pacific University and the Seattle Sports Commission and will be held at Chamber Creek Regional Park in University Bay, Wash. The start time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. eastern time on Saturday.

The Flames posted 41 points to finish 27 points ahead of runner-up Mississippi College (68). MC and third-place Embry-Riddle (85 points) join Lee in earning the South Region's three automatic qualifications to the 2022 NCAA DII Championships.

In order to be eligible to participate in the championships, teams and individuals had to qualify in their respective NCAA regional competitions. Thirty-four teams were selected to participate in each championship. The top three, seven-person teams automatically qualified from each of the eight regions, for a total of 24 teams. Ten additional teams were selected at-large. A minimum of 24 additional individuals were selected to participate in each championship through an automatic qualifier and at-large selection process.

The Lee men enter the weekend as the top-ranked team in the South Region. Mississippi College and Embry-Riddle are second and third, respectively, as the predicted automatic qualifiers. The University of Alabama-Huntsville also qualified for the the meet and Montevallo sent an individual runner to the meet. 

Last year, the Flames came in 17th place at the national championship which took place in Saint Leo, Fla.