NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - The Smith college cross country team has been selected as an at-large team to the 2021 NCAA Division III Championships, which will be held next Saturday, November 20th, at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Pioneers, who are ranked #28 in Division III by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, placed fourth in the Mideast Region at Saturday's Regional championships. Smith placed five runners in the top 50 and had three student-athletes earn All-Region honors.

"Though it has taken the program 30 years to return as a team to the NCAA championships, we hope to strike the fine balance of savoring this experience while making it our new normal moving forward," said head coach Ellen O'Neil.

The Pioneers are one of three New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) teams who will travel to the NCAA Championships and will be joined by MIT and Wellesley.

Smith will be making their sixth trip to the NCAA Division III Championships and first since 1991. The program's best finish was sixth in 1984.

Spalding University and the Louisville Sports Commission are the hosts of the 2021 Division III Cross Country Championships. The women's race will begin at 11 a.m. on November 20th and will be televised on NCAA.com.