NCAA Great Lakes Regional Website  |  Men's Great Lakes Regional Results

OAKLAND, Mich. - University of Dayton senior Chris Lemon earned an automatic berth to the 2010 NCAA National Championship upon finishing fifth at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Men's Cross Championship. 

He ran the 10K race in a school record time of 30:31 Saturday at Oakland University's Katke-Cousins Golf Course. He earned All-Region status and broke his own 10K record by 24 seconds, which he set at the 2008 NCAA National Championship.

“Chris was a true warrior in this race,” said UD Head Coach Rich Davis. “He took the lead at the 2K mark and at one point he held a 200-meter lead. He got passed at the very end in a very close race. I am extremely proud of him. He is a tremendous runner.”

His twin brother Matt missed All-Region honors (Top 25) by 1.5 seconds, finishing 27th at the 2010 NCAA Great Lakes Regional.

Chris Lemon’s finish earned him an automatic berth to the NCAA National Men's Cross Country Championships on Nov. 22 at Indiana State in Terre Haute, Ind.  After all the automatic qualifiers and at-large teams have been selected, the top four individual placers (not on a team that has already earned an NCAA berth) in each region will also earn an automatic berth to the NCAAs. Wisconsin won the Great Lakes Regional and had a runner finish in second. Therefore, Lemon’s fifth-place finish earns him the automatic berth.

He is the first Flyer to earn two trips to nationals. He and his brother Matt both qualified and ran at the 2008 nationals.

“This helps maintain a winning tradition in Flyer men’s cross country,” said Davis. “We’ve created a successful program over the past four years and will continue to maintain and improve upon that.”