MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Junior Ceili McCabe highlights the 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championships with a program-best third-place finish in Tallahassee, Florida, at Apalachee Regional Park, on Saturday, Nov. 12. 
 
"Today was a special ending to a very good year," coach Sean Cleary said. "A few weeks ago, we were a bubble team to qualify for this meet, despite being well ranked. We emerged today as the 21st best team in the NCAA. We had five lifetime and seasonal best times in the most pressure-filled event of the season.
 
"The sport of cross country is very unique, and we have the opportunity to line up at our championships and experience the feeling of running for a National Championship. Twenty-two minutes after the gun is blown, we know the reality of our position amongst the Nation's elite after five months of relentless training."
 
McCabe led the way for the Mountaineers finishing the 6K in 19:29.5 and garnered All-American honors. Previously, Megan Metcalfe finished ninth place at the 2002 National meet.
 
"Ceili's performance today will go down as one of the all-time greatest moments in WVU sports history," Cleary said. "Ceili positioned herself at the front of this race the entire way and refused to budge. Falling but an inch short of winning the national title will continue to fuel her desire to become one of the great student-athletes at WVU and climb the ladder into the world-class running ranks."
 
Redshirt junior Mikaela Lucki was the next Mountaineer to cross the finish line. Lucki placed 105th in a time of 20:31.6. She was followed by fifth-year senior Sylvia Russell, who placed 157th in a time of 20:38.1.
 
In 157th place, redshirt junior Katherine Dowie finished the race in 20:49.6, while fifth-year senior Hayley Jackson recorded a 212th place finish in 21:20.4.
 
Taking 241st, sophomore Maria Kaylor finished a time of 22:25.0 and senior Charlotte Wood finished the race in a time of 22:33.0, good for 243rd place. 
 
"I am very proud of this team with regards to their commitment to training," Cleary said. "I am equally impressed with their special bond, and the support for each other. Our seniors have left the program in a very special place, and I have no doubt that our returning team members will continue to move the needle both with expectations and performance."
 
Saturday's race featured 31 teams and 250 runners. 
 
West Virginia returned to the NCAA Championships as a team for the second consecutive year. WVU has previously seen action at Nationals 11 times since 1997. Most recently, WVU participated in the 2020 NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma, finishing in 29th place. 
 
Florida State served as host for the first time in program history. The Mountaineers last saw action at Florida States Apalachee Regional Park when the team participated in the FSU Winter Classic on February 5, 2020. The team finished 6th place overall at the meet. 
 
The Mountaineers have now concluded the 2021 Cross Country season.
 
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