Bradley University Athletics

Ward Set for NCAA Championship Debut on Saturday

Duane Zehr, Bradley University ITPS

2016 NCAA Championship Info

Men's Cross Country 11/18/2016 3:26:00 PM

Junior Michael Ward is set to represent the Bradley men's cross country team at the NCAA Championship, marking the debut for the Braves men's program at the national championship.

In the midst of the best season in program history, Ward earned his invitation to the championship by placing ninth at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship last Friday and finishing as one of the top four runners at the meet for a non-qualifying team. Ward's ninth-place finish marked the best result by a Brave at the regional championship with his time of 30:33.7 breaking his own school record on a 10K course.

Ward's successful campaign goes much deeper than last weekend's results. The junior from Wales also earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors for the second time in his career after a second-place finish at the conference meet. His performance marked the best result by a Brave in 51 years, while leading Bradley to its second-straight conference title as a team and in dominating fashion.

Overall, Ward has led the Braves in each of the five meets he has competed in during the 2016 campaign. In addition to the team's second-ever MVC title, Bradley placed a school-record fifth at the Midwest Regional and collected votes in the USTFCCCA national poll for the first time in school history this season.

Saturday's national championship is slated to begin at 11 a.m. CT in Terre Haute, Indiana.

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Players Mentioned

Michael Ward: Junior

Players Mentioned

Michael Ward
: Junior