Cross Country | 12/1/2014 12:56:00 PM

ELLENSBURG, Wash (Dec. 1) – The 22^nd ranked Central Washington University women's cross country team will make its fourth appearance at the NCAA Division II National Cross Country Championship and its first appearance since the turn of the century, 2000, this Saturday, in Louisville, KY.

"We are really hoping to go in there and show that we are a top-20 team," Head Coach Kevin Adkisson said. "It's nice to see that we are ranked 22^nd in the nation, and I think that it is very reasonable for us to set a goal of finishing in the top 20 and get over there and do something."

The women's team earned a berth into the national race with their fifth place finish at the West Region Championship which was held in Billings, Mont.

Central Washington is one of four schools to qualify from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

"Just making it isn't the end reward," Adkisson explained. "We have nothing to lose and we can focus on running our race and try to put together our best effort of the season."

The team of seven, which include All-Region runners Dani Eggleston (Longview, WA, R.A. Long), Connie Morgan (Hoquiam, WA, Hoquiam), and Megan Rogers (Covington, WA, Kentlake) will look to improve on Central's top finish at Nationals, which was seventh place.

The rest of the team includes Hannah Dowdell (Everett, WA, Cascade), Brenna Eldredge (Duvall, WA, Cedarcrest), Erin Chinchar (Kent, WA, Kentwood) and Jayna Inderbitzin (Graham, WA, Cascade Christian).

"Since Connie was there last year, it was a goal for the whole team to get there this year," Adkisson said. "We know if you make it out of our region you deserved to be there. Now that we made it, it's my goal as a coach to make this an annual thing, we have to keep people healthy, motivated and continue to recruit."

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