INDIANAPOLIS – Emily Manfra's historic cross country season will continue as the junior became the first-ever Suffolk cross country runner to clinch a spot in the NCAA National Championships. 

In order to be eligible to participate in the championships, teams and individuals must qualify in their respective NCAA regions and Manfra did just that. Last Saturday, on a wet, rainy course in Brunswick, Maine, the Stoneham, Massachusetts, punched her ticket to the national stage behind an impressive 17th-place showing at the regionals. The co-captain ran through the 6k course in 22:26.54, the best performance of any student-athlete from the GNAC and in Suffolk history. 

Thirty-two teams were selected to participate in each championship. The top two, seven-person teams automatically qualified from each of the eight regions, for a total of 16 teams. Additionally, 16 teams were selection at-large. 

Fifty-six individuals, the first seven student-athletes from each region who are not a part of a qualifying team, were selected to participate in each championship. Manfra earned her spot thanks to the latter qualification portion to become the first-ever Suffolk runner in the history of the program to compete at nationals. 

Manfra will join her competitors in Winneconne, Wisconsin, this weekend as the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh hosts the 2018 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships at the Lake Breeze Golf Club. The women's race will begin at 12:15 p.m. For a complete list of all qualifiers, click here.