KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For the first time in the history of the Goshen cross country programs, both the men's and women's teams have qualified for the 2023 NAIA Cross Country Championships in Vancouver, Washington. The men were ranked #11 and the women #20 in the final ratings of the season, with both teams earning at-large bids.

It is the fifth straight year the men have made it to the national championships as a team and their sixth year overall. It is the first time the women have ever competed as a team at nationals, though they have had 19 individuals compete in the race. The most recent was Chelsea Foster in 2017.

Led by All-Conference performances from Mathew Keitany and Mercy Chebet, the Goshen cross country teams placed in the top half of the competitive Crossroads League at the conference championship meet at Taylor University on Friday. The men placed third of ten, and the women were fifth of ten. Chebet's time of 22:36.5 in the 6k was a school record at that distance.

The Goshen women are one of five teams to make the national championships from the Crossroads League, along with Grace, Huntington, Indiana Wesleyan and Taylor. Four of the 11 at-large spots available went to Crossroads League institutions. There were five CL schools on the men's side, the same five schools as the women's.

This is the 12th and 13th time a Goshen team has qualified for the NAIA national championship. In addition to the men's cross country national trips in 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, the women's basketball team qualified in 2004 and 2016, while men's soccer reached the final site in 1971, 1973, 1977 and 2006. The men's cross country team finished 27th in the 2014 national championship, 20th in 2019, 22nd in 2020, 24th in 2021 and 22nd in 2022.

A team qualifies with an automatic berth by winning its conference championship meet or as the runner-up in the championship meet, provided the conference has 12 or more schools and the runner-up is rated in the top 30 of the final. The at-large berths were determined by the final ratings and reviewed by the NAIA Cross Country Championship Oversight Committees for the women's and men's sides.

2023's championship will be the eighth that has taken place at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course in Vancouver, Wash. The women's 6k will start at 1:30 pm ET on Friday, November 17, and the men's 8k will begin at 2:30 pm ET. It is the 68th annual championship for the men and the 44th for the women.

Stay tuned to GoLeafs.net and the Maple Leafs' official social media accounts for more information as the meet nears.