Wingate, N.C. –The Queens University of Charlotte women's cross country team grabbed a ticket to the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in Joplin, Mo., after finding a third place overall finish at the Southeast Regionals on Saturday, November 7, 2015. The team was led by Catie Byrd who took the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Southeast Region Athlete of the Year honor for the second year in a row.

The Royals' third place finish totaled at 139 points. Montevallo grabbed the top team spot with 30 points after the team placed all five scoring runners inside the top ten. Wingate secured the second place spot with 108 points.

Byrd finished the race with in 22:25.3 to top the competition and grab a personal best for the 6k race. She would finish 20 seconds faster than the field. Lucie Noall was the second Queens runner to cross the finish line. Noall found a 24:15.4 for a 24^th place finish to place on the Southeast All-Region Team.

Summer McFadden and Louise Hill-Sterling were the next two to place for Queens as McFadden took a personal best of 24:28.7 securing 29^th in scoring, and Hill-Sterling took a 25:01.7 for a 42^nd place finish. Megan Delamer rounded out the scoring runs with a 43^rd place finish with a 25:03.0 time.

Also competing for the Royals were Hannah Wolkenhauer who took a 25:19.1, 51^st place finish and Sarah Bomkamp who crossed with a 25:49.3 for a 65^th place finish.  

The team will compete at the NCAA Division II Nationals on November 21.