Butler's men and women will both make the trip to the NCAA Championships after earning at-large berths to the national meet. The NCAA announced the field Saturday afternoon.

Florida State University will host the championships, Saturday, Nov. 20, at Apalachee Regional Park located in Tallahassee, Fla. The women's race will begin at 10:20 a.m., followed by the men's race at 11:10 a.m.

The at-large berths continue an impressive fall for the Bulldogs as Butler will have both teams in the field for the third time in program history (2004, 2005). Butler's men placed 13th in the most recent NCAA Championships, held in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is truly special to advance both teams to the NCAA Championships," said coach Matt Roe. "It is a tall task given the limited number of teams that qualify in comparison to other NCAA sport championships. The elite of the elite will be toeing the line next Saturday for the chance at an NCAA title. We have two high motor groups that thrive on competition. We look forward to the opportunity ahead."
 
Butler's men captured their second consecutive BIG EAST championship Oct. 29 as Simon Bedard raced to the individual BIG EAST title. The women placed second at the BIG EAST Championships with Angelina Ellis leading the way in third individually.

Butler took the top two spots on the men's side at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional as Bedard and Keane distanced themselves from a stellar field for much of the 10k race Friday afternoon. Bedard won in a time of 29:50.0, as both Bedard and Keane earned All-Region recognition. The Bulldogs finished fifth as a team in the elite region. Bedard's Regional championship was the first for a Bulldog since Callum Hawkins in 2011.

"We were outstanding up front with Barry and Simon," said Roe. "They worked together and executed the plan perfectly. The remainder of our squad was solid and allowed us the opportunity to advance out of a difficult region. There's definitely more in there for them and they are excited to have another chance to put their best foot forward on the highest stage."
 
The women also finished fifth at Friday's Great Lakes Regional. Ellis took ninth individually, crossing the line in a time of 20:11.8. She earned All-Region honors alongside teammates Mia Beckham and Kami Hankins.
 
"Our women were incredibly tough," said Roe. "They were unified and everyone raced with purpose. It's a great feeling when all seven run well in a championship setting and that's what they did yesterday."
 
In order to be eligible to participate in the championships, teams and individuals qualified at their respective NCAA regional championship competitions. Thirty-one teams were selected to participate in each championship. The top two, seven-person teams automatically qualified from each of the nine regions, for a total of 18 teams. Thirteen additional teams were selected at-large.
 
Live coverage of the NCAA Championships will be available on ESPNU and the ESPN App starting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 20.