Nov. 13, 2009

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - - Alex Lundy seeks a return trip, Kristin Reed is hoping to earn a national invitation and the Maryland Terrapins are seeking an improved team finish on Saturday when they participate in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships being hosted by Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Team and individual berths to the NCAA National Championships are on the line at the regional meet, one of nine scattered around the country on Saturday. The men's 10-kilometer race begins at noon with the women's 6K event getting the gun at 1:15 p.m.

A year ago, Lundy became the first Terrapin in recent history to earn an individual spot at the nationals, courtesy of his 10th-place finish at the regionals held in Princeton. Lundy, now a Maryland junior, went on to finish 125th at the nationals, placing midway through the strongest field in the nation.

"Alex is hoping to have a return trip to nationals and will lead the charge for the men's program," said head coach Andrew Valmon.

Reed has had an outstanding senior season for the Maryland women's team, leading the Terps to the line in each of the four events she's run this year. She placed 27th individually two weeks ago at the ACC Championships.

"Hopefully, Kristin will have a good follow-up to the ACC Championships," said Valmon. "It seems like she's excited and ready to run. In her final cross country season, I think she's been running with a passion that has led up to a good senior year."

For an individual berth to the nationals, competitors must be one of the top four regional finishers not on an advancing team. Two additional individuals are selected at large by the NCAA committee.

The top two teams in each of nine regionals are automatically qualified for the nationals, to be held on Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind. The team field for nationals will be filled out by the committee adding 13 at-large teams from around the nation.

The Maryland men placed 11th at last year's regional with 304 points, with the women earning a sixth-place team finish with 226.

Georgetown (No. 15) and Villanova (No. 20) are the two Mid-Atlantic teams on the men's side that appear in the national rankings of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Villanova is ranked second in the nation on the women's side, followed by Princeton (No. 4), West Virginia (No. 7), Penn State (No. 11) and Georgetown (No. 12).