DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - In just a few days, the 2011 editions of the Embry-Riddle Men's and Women's Cross Country teams will travel to Vancouver, Wash. for the 2011 NAIA National Championships on Nov. 19. The two 32-team fields will run at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site on Saturday for the third consecutive year.

The men's squad, ranked 24th in the final regular seaon NAIA Coaches' Poll, pulled off an impressive upset at the 2011 Sun Conference Cross Country Championships on Nov. 5 when they knocked off SCAD Savannah by three points after getting beat by the Bees just two weeks before at the Southeast Classic. The seventh straight Sun Conference crown gave the Eagles an automatic berth into the National Championships, their seventh appearance in program history.

Junior Evans Kirwa leads the way for the Blue and Gold, the first Eagle to finish in all seven of ERAU's races this season, and the first finisher overall in six of those seven meets. A five-time Sun Conference Runner of the Week and three-time NAIA National Runner of the Week, Kirwa was awarded his third straight Sun Conference Runner of the Year honor at the conference meet.

Following Kirwa is senior Alex Frazier and sophomore Zachary Kraus. Frazier finished second in five of ERAU's meets in 2011, while Kraus finished the last two meets in second for the ERAU harriers.

Head Coach Mike Rosolino's and ERAU's best finish at the NAIA National Championship meet came in 2009 when the Eagles placed fifth overall.

The Embry-Riddle women's team took home their sixth straight Sun Conference crown with their win at The Sun Conference Championships two weeks ago and will be making their sixth appearance at the NAIA National Championships. The Eagles' placed 16th in 2009, their best finish in school history.

ERAU has a trio leading them up top, senior Julie Mayfield, junior Karina Coelho and sophomore Ellie Staker. Staker, a native of Seattle, Wash., was the first Eagle to cross the finish line in six of ERAU's seven races, while Coelho placed second in all but one meet, taking first-place honors at The Sun Conference meet for ERAU. Mayfield spent the majority of the offseason recovering from an injury, but finished no lower than third in the Eagles' last four races.

The Eagles are ranked No. 22 currently, and will join the 31 other teams in the field on Nov. 19. The men's race is slated for a 10:30 a.m. (PST) start, while the women will have a shotgun start at 11:45 a.m. (PST).

For more information on the 2011 NAIA National Championships, CLICK HERE FOR MEN, CLICK HERE FOR WOMEN.