SMEA graduate student Samantha Friborg celebrated with her team as the Husky women’s cross country team qualified for Nationals at the Regional Championships last week.

Washington, the women’s Pac-12 Champions, qualified for the 17th year in a row, placing 17th at the NCAA Championships last season. This season, the team ranked as high as 8th in the USTFCCCA (US Track and Field and Cross County Coaches Association) Coaches Poll. The championships will be held on November 18th in Charlottesville, WA. The race will air live on ESPNU and the ESPN App beginning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday, November 18. 

Friborg, who joined SMEA this year after graduating with a BA in Environmental Studies from Yale, said “It’s thrilling to be a part of a nationally competitive team while also getting to study at SMEA. I’ve long appreciated being able to pursue my studies and my running simultaneously, most recently at Yale as an environmental studies major and member of the cross country and track and field teams there.” Speaking of her experience at UW, Friborg shared:

“I am passionate about the environment and my goals on the track, and my experience thus far at UW is fueling both in deeply meaningful ways. I am extraordinarily grateful to the SMEA faculty and my classmates for their support of the opportunity I have to compete for UW this year. Go Dawgs!”