FULL NCAA RELEASE

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – For the first time in more than two decades the University of New Haven will be represented at the Division II Cross Country Championship as junior Mohammed Abunar (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) followed up a top-10 finish at regionals with a selection as an individual for the national event. Abunar is the Charger, male or female, selected for the national championship since the 2001 season when Alexander McCabe earned a bid as an individual.

In order to be eligible to participate in the national championships, teams and individuals had to qualify in their respective NCAA regional competitions that were held this past weekend. Thirty-four teams were selected to participate in the 2024 nationals. 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 also selected to participate in each championship through an automatic qualifier and at-large selection process.

The 2024 NCAA Division II National Championship will be run at Arcade Creek Cross Country Course in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday, November 23 with the men's race stepping off at 1:00 p.m. eastern standard time.

The Trumbull, Conn. native, Abunar finished the East Region championship in eighth place, among a field of 140 runners, posting a time of 31:53.6 on the 10k course in Rochester, N.Y. The eighth place finish for Abunar was an improvement of six positions from his 14th place finish at the 2023 east regionals.