FAYETTEVILLE – A year after becoming just the third runner in North Texas cross country history to qualify for the NCAA Championships, senior Florian Lussy became the first runner in program history to qualify twice with his seventh place finish in a time of 30:22.1 at the South Central Regional Friday morning at Agri Park on the campus of the University of Arkansas.
 
Lussy, who also earned All-Region honors sat in 12 place at the 3.6K mark of the 10K race, but improved to finish third among the four individuals who earned automatic National bids along with the top two teams, Texas and Arkansas.
 
"Florian was outstanding," head coach Kevin Williams said. "He has overcome so much this year in terms of injury and I couldn't be more proud of him. Going to Nationals two years in a row is an amazing accomplishment."
 
The North Texas men finished the race 13 as a team, Texas (39) and Arkansas (67) came into the race favored to advance to Nationals and did just that.
 
"Our youth showed today for the Men," Williams said. "This was the first 10K for five of our guys but they ran tough. We've leaned heavily on four freshmen all year and they showed how they have matured today."
 
Sophomore Caleb Bouchard finished second for the Mean Green and 52 overall with a time of 31:43.8, he was followed by freshman Spencer Boykin (92, 32:43.5), junior Matthew Morgan (97, 32:51.7), and freshmen Braden Lange (103, 32.59.9), Mason Garner (116, 33:19.3) and Riley Wood (136, 34:31.8).
 
Bouchard, Boykin, Garner, Lange and Wood all ran in the first 10K of their collegiate careers.
 
The Mean Green women finished 17 as a team were led by sophomore Aubrey Schmidt who finished 55 individually with a time of 22:37.6. Arkansas (1) and Texas (2) claimed the top two spots in the women's race as well and will head to Nationals.
 
"It was a tough day for the women," Williams said. "We had been consistent all season but were shaky on the back end today. However, our young runners stepped up and Aubrey had a great day up front."
 
Schmidt was followed at the line by graduate student Baylee Nelson (70, 22:57.0), senior Jennifer White (98, 23:29.6), freshmen Erika Barrett (101, 23:33.9) and Laurynn Hogan (107, 23:45.7), junior Gwyneth Garcia (111, 23:53.6) and senior Darrian Johnson (140, 25:33.7).
 
While the 2019 season comes to an end for the men's and women's teams, Lussy will train for another week before heading to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana on November 23 with the 10K beginning at 11:15.