Women's Cross Country 11/17/2022 9:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Ready For Regional Championships

Central Oklahoma Will Race in the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships Saturday In Joplin, Missouri

JOPLIN, Mo. – Central Oklahoma's last remaining Fall sport is cross country and the Bronchos are heading to the NCAA Division II Regional Championships this weekend.

UCO is sending five runners to take on the field in the 6k race Saturday morning in Joplin at Missouri Southern State University's Tom Rutledge Course.

The NCAA will advance the top three teams in each region to the 2022 Division II Women's Cross Country Championships in Seattle next month. 10 other at-large selections will also be made for team qualifying for a total of 34 teams. The top two individuals not on an advancing team will also advance to nationals.

This will be the third race in Joplin this year for the Bronchos. UCO competed in the 5k Southern Stampede in September and the 6k MIAA Championships there two weeks ago.

UCO has raced five times this Fall, with a 3-mile season-opener at Hutchinson, Kansas followed by two 5k races, one in Joplin and the other in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Central Oklahoma then hosted the Broncho Classic, the first 6k of the year, and competed two weeks ago at the conference meet for the second 6k race of the year.

Three Bronchos posted their fastest 5k time in Joplin in September and seven UCO runners posted their fastest 6k time in Joplin two weeks ago.

Making an appearance Saturday for Central Oklahoma will be Noel Buckhaults, Eden Haack, Korie Kizarr, Katie McCathern and Giselle Zavaleta.

Kizarr has been Central's top runner this season. The freshman from Marlow, Oklahoma, has finished first among UCO runners in 4 of 5 races this Fall. She posted a 23:25.60 in Joplin two weeks ago at the MIAA Championships. That mark is 0.3 seconds outside the Top 20 in UCO history.

Buckhaults has been improving as the races get longer this season. The junior college transfer was the third-, then second-finishing Broncho in the two 6k races in the last month of the season. She posted a 26:42 in Edmond before racing to a 25:32 in Joplin two weeks ago.

Zavaleta, who is also a transfer student, has been close with Buckhaults as of late. She was three seconds behind her in Joplin, finishing the 6k conference meet in 25:36.

Haack missed two races this season but the freshman from Oklahoma City did race in Joplin both times. She ran the 5k there in 21:08 and posted a 25:41 in the 6k two weeks ago.

McCathern, a third-year squad member, is the veteran on the team. She posted a 27:40 in Joplin two weeks ago. She is the only member of the team to run in the 2021 NCAA Regional Championships in Joplin and she posted a 24:44 in that race.

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Players Mentioned

Katie McCathern: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Noel Buckhaults: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Eden Haack: 5' 7"; Freshman

Korie Kizarr: 5' 3"; Freshman

Giselle Zavaleta: 5' 4"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Katie McCathern
: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Noel Buckhaults
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Eden Haack
: 5' 7"; Freshman

Korie Kizarr
: 5' 3"; Freshman

Giselle Zavaleta
: 5' 4"; Sophomore