For Immediate Release: November 14, 2009
Contact: David O'Brian (dobrian@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6478

van Ingen qualifies for NCAA Championships with seventh-place finish at Northeast Regional Meet

Complete Results

BOSTON, Mass. -- Junior Erik van Ingen became the first Binghamton runner ever to qualify for the NCAA Division I championships, highlighting the Bearcats' showing at the Northeast Regional Meet on Saturday at Franklin Park. In the team standings, Binghamton was a program-best eighth out of 36 teams in the men's race and placed 26th out of 35 squads in the women's meet.

After capturing the America East individual title two weeks ago, van Ingen finished seventh overall (out of 243 runners) on Saturday. He covered the 10,000-meter course in a time of 31:17. In the process, van Ingen becomes just the third runner from any America East Conference school to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the last 10 years and the first since Jochen Dikefoss of Boston University made four consecutive trips from 2000-03.

Including the Northeast Meet, there were nine regional championships at the NCAA Division I level on Saturday. The top two teams from each meet along with the top four individual not on the top two teams all earned spots at the NCAA National Championship. Iona and Providence were the top two men's teams at the Northeast Meet. van Ingen, meanwhile, was the fourth-highest finisher to qualify as an individual.

The NCAA Division I National Cross Country Championship will hosted by Indiana State University on Monday, Nov. 23. The meet, which starts with the men's race at noon, will be televised live on Versus.

van Ingen is also the first Binghamton runner to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships at any Division level since Art Gunther made three straight appearnaces appearances at the Division III meet from 1990-92. Binghamton moved up to the NCAA Division II level in 1998 and the NCAA Division I level in 2001.

By finishing in the top 25, van Ingen also became the first Binghamton men's runner to be named to the All-Northeast Region team. As a team, the Bearcats came into the meet ranked a program-best ninth in the United State Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) Northeast Region Poll.

Graduate student Chris Gaube finished 38th (32:36), freshman Jeff Martinez was 67th (33:14), junior Adam Quinn was 71st (33:16) and junior Casey Quaglia came in 71st (33:20).

In the women's meet, freshman Rachel Miura was 82nd overall in the 6,000-meter race with a time of 24:13. Fellow freshman Lindsay Raulli was 126th (24:49).

NOTE: In addition to the 18 teams and 36 individuals who earn automatic spots, there will be an additional 13 teams and two individual who will earn at-large bids to the NCAA Championships. The at-large bids will be extended on Sunday ... while the Binghamton men's team has yet to have an All-Northeast Region runner, Katie Radzik placed 23rd in the 2005 women's race and was 25th the following year.