Rice University
NCAA Championships (Cali Roper)
Roper Finishes 56th at NCAA Cross Country Championships
11/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Rice redshirt junior Cali Roper capped off a stellar cross country season with a 56th place finish at Saturday's NCAA Cross Country Championships at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville.
Roper improved upon her 6k time at last year's NCAA Championships (20:51-47th) with a mark of 20:33.8 in Saturday's 254-runner field.
"Cali had a great experience today," said Rice women's cross country head coach Jim Bevan. She kind of got stuck in the middle of the race and didn't move up when she needed to. Cali's had a great year and I believe she's fitter than she's ever been. She's a great runner, leader and scholar. We're looking forward to our next season."
Roper won two individual races in 2015, including her second straight individual C-USA title. She also placed in the top five four times and was the first Owl since Pam Klassen in 1985-86 to qualify for two straight NCAA Championships as an individual.
The Willis, Texas native will attempt to become the first Owl in school history to advance to three consecutive NCAA Cross Country Championships next season with the hopes of bringing her teammates with her. The C-USA Champion Owls return all seven of their top runners for 2016.
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
