CLAREMONT, CALIF. -- Michaela Freeby (Jr., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) from Willamette University won the women's individual championship at the NCAA West Regional on Saturday, Nov. 16, helping the Bearcat women's team earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.

In the men's race, Parker Bennet (Sr., Sisters, OR/Sisters HS) of Willamette achieved second place with a time of 24:52.14. John Guzman from Occidental College (Calif.) won the men's competition with a time of 24:40.27 over the 8-kilometer course.

Bennett has clinched at least an individual bid to the NCAA Championships. The WU men finished third in the team standings and will find out on Sunday (Nov. 17) if they receive a team at-large bid to the championships.

Freeby took first place in 21:37.66 during the 6-kilometer women's race, a she won by more than 10 seconds. Melissa Skiba from California Lutheran University garnered second place in 21:48.10.

Sara Mostatabi of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) was third at 22:15.06 and Taylor Ostrander (So., Soldotna, AK/Kenai Central HS) of Willamette was fourth at 22:16.61.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won the women's team title with a score of 62. Willamette was second at 82 and Whitworth University was third at 112. Occidental College (Calif.) placed fourth at 144 and Whitman College was fifth at 167.

CMS and Willamette earned the two automatic bids from the West Regional into the NCAA Championships. Whitworth, Occidental and Whitman are among 24 teams nationwide that are eligible for team at-large bids to the championships.

An extended story will be posted later.