PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's and men's cross country teams will travel to Joplin, Mo., Saturday (Nov. 8) to compete in the 2025 NCAA Division II Central Regional.

The Central Regional Championships will be held at Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course on the campus of Missouri Southern State University with the women's six-kilometer race beginning at 10 a.m. (CST). The men's 10-kilometer race will follow at 11:15 a.m.

The top three teams in each of the women's and men's fields earn automatic qualifying berths into the 2025 NCAA Division II National Championships, while 10 at-large berths spread out among the nation's eight regions will be determined when the complete national women's and men's fields are revealed next week.
 
The Pitt State women enter the meet ranked second in the most recent Division II Central Region poll and No. 17 in NCAA Division II according to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) after claiming the 2025 MIAA Championships on Oct. 25 in Pittsburg.

Winona State is ranked No. 1 in the region and No. 14 nationally. Rogers State is ranked third (No. 18 in D2), while Nebraska-Kearney (No. 19) and Minnesota State (No. 25) round out the region's top five squads.

The Pitt State women are seeking their 16th all-time trip to the NCAA Division II National Championships and their seventh appearance in nine seasons after qualifying each year from 2017-19 and again the past three years in 2022-24 (no competitive season in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

The Pitt State men are the second-ranked squad in the Central Region and the No. 10 team nationally. The Gorillas placed second at the 2025 MIAA Championships two weeks ago.

Northwest Missouri is the region's top-ranked men's squad. The MIAA champion Bearcats are No. 7 in the national poll. Following Pitt State at No. 2, Washburn (No. 14 nationally), East Central (No. 19) and Augustana (No. 27) round out the top five regional squads.

The Pitt State men are seeking their 10th all-time trip to the NCAA Division II National Championships. The Gorillas qualified to nationals in each of the past four seasons (2021-2024). Pitt State posted a program best seventh place finish at the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships at Sacramento, Calif.