Cal Poly junior Kelli Gaffney will represent The Big West as an individual qualifier in the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, hosted by Missouri at Gans Creek Cross Country Course on Saturday, Nov. 22. The announcement was made via a selection show, Saturday on NCAA.com.

The national field is made up of 31 teams, with the top two teams in each of the nine regionals automatically qualifying. The NCAA DI Cross Country Subcommittee then chose 13 at-large teams, with regular and postseason results being considered. The top four runners at the regionals not on a national-qualifying team earned individual qualifications.

Gaffney was 16th in the women’s 6k at the NCAA West Regionals with a time of 20:07.5 and was the fourth individual not on a qualifying team. The last Big West runner to compete at nationals was Brianna Weidler of UC Davis in 2023. It is the ninth occasion since 2010 that a Mustang has earned a ticket to the NCAA Championships after Katie Izzo (2018), Miranda Daschian (2018), Peyton Bilo (2016, 2015), Laura Hollander (2012, 2013), Leann Fogg (2011), Meghan Breadmore (2011).

The national championship race will be held at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri on Saturday, Nov. 22. The meet will be streamed live on ESPNU with the women's 6K race at 9:20 a.m. CT/7:20 a.m. PT and the men's 10K race at 10:10 a.m. ET/8:10 a.m. CT.