NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Based on their performances at Friday's NCAA Cross Country Northeast Regional Championships, Yale men's cross country seniors Owen Karas (Columbus, Ohio) and Kenan Pala (San Diego, Calif.) have earned spots in the NCAA Championships. The NCAA announced the selections Saturday. Both runners advanced based on being among the top four finishers at Regionals who were not on an advancing team.
 
Karas was Yale's top finisher at Regionals, 11th overall. That finish earns him All-Region honors for the second year in a row. He improved upon his 22nd place finish at Regionals a year ago. Karas has enjoyed a memorable season, including earning first team All-Ivy League honors for his third-place finish at Heps last month. His time of 24:15.8 bested the previous school Heps record for Van Cortlandt Park, set in 1981 by Andrew Atkeson '83 (24:19.1). Karas has been Yale's top finisher in all four races he has run this fall. 
 
Pala was Yale's second finisher at Regionals, placing 12th right behind Karas and also earning All-Region honors for the second year in a row. That marked the eighth time in his last nine races that Pala has finished among the Bulldogs' top three. 
 
This is the first appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships for both Karas and Pala. The last Yale men's cross country runner to compete at the NCAA Championships was Sean Kay '24 in 2023. He placed 13th at Regionals to earn his place in the championship race. He finished 177th at the Championships. The last Bulldog to compete at the Championships prior to Kay was James Randon '17 in 2016; he finished 114th. The last Bulldog to earn All-America honors at the Championships was Kevin Dooney '15 in 2014. He finished 34th that year, then returned a year later and finished 61st. Dooney first ran in the Championships in 2013, finishing 98th.
 
The race takes place at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo. on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 10:10 a.m. Central Time/11:10 a.m. Eastern Time. The Championships will be broadcast on ESPNU.