JOPLIN, Mo. – The NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship was held on Saturday morning from the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course. Leena Saidi, representing the Nova Southeastern Women’s Cross Country team, placed 102nd with a time of 21:39.0.
Prior to the NCAA National Championship race, Saidi set a Nova Southeastern Women’s Cross Country program record at the NCAA South Region Championship, finishing that race in 20:48.20. Saidi also was recognized as an All-Sunshine State Conference First-Team honoree.
Head Coach Jonathan Carter – Leena Saidi ran a very competitive first mile of her race, where she was within the top-25. She ran into some trouble going into the second mile and had to adjust her pacing, setting her up for a better finish. This was definitely an experience she can build on going into track season. For her to be able to compete with the best NCAA Division II student-athletes in the country and finish just outside the top-100 is an accomplishment.
The NCAA National Championship meet concludes the Nova Southeastern Cross Country season. The Sharks, under the direction of Head Coach Jonathan Carter, will return to competition in the spring of 2024 for the upcoming Track season. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Cross Country/Track & Field, be sure to follow on Instagram and X at NSU_WCTF.
