NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Yale men's cross country seniors Owen Karas (Columbus, Ohio) and Kenan Pala (San Diego, Calif.) were recognized as All-Region honorees by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Monday. This award is given to the top 25 finishers in each of the NCAA Regional Championship meets that took place last Friday. Karas placed 11th (29:27.2) and Pala placed 12th (29:31.1) at the Northeast Regional Championships. They helped the Bulldogs to a fifth-place finish, matching last year's finish and giving the team its first back-to-back top five finishes at Regionals since 2003 (fourth) and 2004 (fifth).

Karas earned All-Region honors for the second year in a row while also improving on his 22nd place finish at last year's Regionals. He 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. He also earned Academic All-Ivy League honors.

Pala was Yale's second finisher at Regionals, earning All-Region honors for the second year in a row. That marked the eighth time in his last nine races that he has finished among the Bulldogs' top three. 

Both Karas and Pala have earned spots in the NCAA Championships. That 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.