INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.---The No. 30 Portland men's cross country team is headed to the 2021 NCAA Championships, announced the selection committee on Saturday afternoon. The 10K race will take place at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday, Nov. 20 beginning at 8:10 a.m. (PT). The qualification marks the 22nd overall appearance for Rob Conner's program at the NCAA Championships since 1993.
 
NCAA cross country fans will have the opportunity to watch live coverage of the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on ESPNU or the ESPN App. Live coverage of the NCAA Championships will be available starting at 7 a.m. (PT). The women's 6K race is set to begin at 7:20 a.m.
 
The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country Committee selected 31 teams and 38 individual qualifiers to compete for the national championship.
 
The Portland men most recently secured third place as a team at yesterday's NCAA West Regional meet, led by All-West Region honorees Zak Kirk, Jonas Gertsen, Stan Niesten, and Jacob Klemz's Top-25 individual finishes. All seven of the Pilots runners notched new personal bests in the 10K on the day, also featuring George Duggan, Bradley Peloquin, and Leo Donlea.
 
Portland finished 21st at last year's 2020 national championship meet, where Kirk crossed first for the Pilots in 60th place.
 
Portland's men's cross country team has accumulated ten top-10 finishes at the national event, including 10th at the 2019 NCAA Championships, led by All-American Caleb Webb's 31st place finish. Portland finished third overall at the 2018 national meet, and were the runners-up back in 2017.