NCAA Championship Bound: Blanca Fernandez to Represent Temple on Saturday

Saturday, November 21

Louisville, Ky. (University of Louisville)

12:00 p.m.

Temple University

NCAA Championships

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

NCAA Championship Bound: Blanca Fernandez to Represent Temple on Saturday

11.19.15 | Women's Cross Country

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One race remains in Blanca Fernandez's first and last cross country season for Temple. The graduate student from Leon, Spain, has yet to lose to a single runner in six races and enters Saturday's NCAA Championships undefeated in 2015.

Fans can watch the race live HERE and follow live results HERE.

Fernandez and around 250 other competitors will hear the starting gun at noon on Saturday, Nov. 21. The University of Louisville is the site of the championship race, which will take place at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park. Fernandez is one of nine to win a NCAA Regional title last week, having bested the field at the Mid-Atlantic Regional in a time of 20:52.

"Now people are like, 'ok you won six, why not win seven,'" jokes Fernandez on her success this season. "I have a lot of confidence going into it, but I have fears too. It's going to be so big and the level is going to be the best in the country. The goal is to give all I have. If I do that, I think I'll be pretty high up in the race."

On Oct. 31, Fernandez's fifth win resulted in an American Athletic Conference individual title. It was the fourth for her after winning two indoor track titles and one outdoor title in the spring.

The top 40 finishers on Saturday will earn All-America honors from the USTFCCCA, with the top 15 also being honored by the NCAA.

Fernandez is the first Temple women's cross country runner to represent the Owls at the NCAA Championships. The program has had a couple representatives on the men's side, most recently with Travis Mahoney placing 37th in 2012 to earn All-America honors.

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