FORT MYERS, Fla. — Ozia Trujillo will continue her historic season as she competes in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship on Saturday at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri. The race is scheduled for Nov. 22, and fans can watch live on ESPNU beginning at 10:20 a.m. ET.
Trujillo, from Liberal, Kansas, is the first athlete in FGCU men’s or women’s cross country history to qualify for the national championship meet. She earned her spot with a standout performance at the NCAA South Regionals, running a program-record and personal-best 19:45 to place 11th in the women’s 6K out of 202 athletes.
Her time shattered the previous FGCU record of 20:38.9 set by Kelly Perzanowski at the 2013 South Regionals and marked the highest individual finish by any Eagle, male or female. The performance capped an already record-breaking season that started strong from the opening meet.
Trujillo opened the fall by setting a new FGCU program best in the 5K, clocking 17:05.4 at the Florida Intercollegiate Invitational. A month later, she claimed the individual title at the Ed Holloway XC Classic with a 6K time of 20:48, helping lead the Eagles to a team victory.
Her historic momentum continued at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship on Oct. 31, where she ran 16:20 to set a new ASUN Championship record in the women’s 5K. She earned ASUN Runner of the Year honors and a spot on the ASUN First Team.
Trujillo cut a remarkable 47 seconds off her previous personal best of 17:07.7 and secured FGCU’s first individual conference title since 2013.
