CALIFORNIA (Nov. 29) – The California (PA) cross country program will be represented by junior Malia Anderson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem) and redshirt freshman Jonathan Thrush (Temple, Pa./Muhlenberg) at NCAA National Championships on Friday, Dec. 2, in University Place, Washington.

Thrush becomes the first men's representative at the national race since the 2014 campaign when the Vulcans qualified multiple individuals, highlighted by Aaron Dinzeo finishing as the national runner-up. Thrush placed sixth overall at the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships on Nov. 19 after finishing third overall at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships two weeks earlier with both championships held on the same course. He has registered a top-10 overall finish four times this season, plus placed among the top 20 at the Live in Lou Classic hosted by Louisville in October with the event featuring 400-plus entries.

The men's race is set to begin at 1 p.m. EST and the field features four of the top-10 runners from last season, highlighted by national runner-up Tanner Chada of Grand Valley State, plus the defending-national champion in the 10,000-meter run from last spring's NCAA Championships.

Anderson earned an at-large qualifier for the event, marking the seventh time in nine seasons the Cal women's program will be represented at the NCAA National Championships. The Vulcans previously garnered a team qualifier for the national race three times in four years from 2015-18 and featured an individual qualifier in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Anderson finished in eighth place at the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships earlier this month after placing sixth overall at the PSAC Championships. The Greensburg native was the team's top runner in all six races this fall, including five top-10 finishes.

The women's race is slated to start at 2:15 p.m. EST and the field returns six of the top-10 runners from last year, including the national runner-up Klaudia O'Malley of Grand Valley State.

The NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held at Chambers Creek Regional Park which is located along the saltwater shoreline and provides views of Puget Sound. Additionally, the event is part of the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships Festival hosted in Seattle, Washington, from December 1-3.