Georgia sophomore Kristie Krueger will represent the Lady Bulldogs for the first time in her career at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Monday afternoon.

Krueger qualified for the national meet after finishing eighth overall at the NCAA South Regionals in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Nov. 14. She joins 37 other individual qualifiers and 31 full teams at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course for the women’s 6K race at 12:58 pm. EDT. This race will immediately follow the men’s 10K scheduled to start at 12:08 p.m.

The NCAA Championships will be televised live by VERSUS. This will mark the first time ever the cross country championship will be broadcast in High Definition. The NCAA will also stream the event live at www.ncaa.com.

“Kristie is one of those who started figuring things out early and she has been on a mission since she started putting everything together,” said Georgia coach Jeff Pigg. “She has a passion for being great and is one of those people who shows up every day with her ultimate goal in mind.”

During the 2009 cross country season, Krueger led the Lady Bulldogs in all six of their meets. After opening with a pair of wins during Georgia’s home meets, Krueger was fourth overall at the Southeastern Conference Championships before traveling to Tuscaloosa for the Regionals.

Krueger, who was 10th in the 1500-meter run at the 2009 NCAA East Regionals after clocking a personal-best 4:23.19 during the event’s prelims, has picked up the pace this cross country season just as she did in her first track season, according to Pigg.

“It’s nice to see the year she is having in 2009 after going through a rough time during last year’s (cross country) season,” Pigg said, adding that Krueger shut her freshman season down after the SEC Championships to help heal and prepare her body for the track season. “Once she got going in track last year, she just kept getting better and better. I believe this will be the first of many trips she has to the NCAA Championships in both cross country and track.”

Pigg has also been encouraged throughout this season of how Krueger has dealt with minor setbacks.

“She has been in this type of shape since the track season, but then got sick midway through this cross country season,” said Pigg. “But she didn’t panic or over-train when she got feeling better and came back probably stronger than she was. I think this is a great lesson to younger runners and shows a great deal of maturity on her part.”

Krueger’s only other trip to Terre Haute in her collegiate career was for this season’s NCAA Pre-Nationals. She clocked a 21:22.0 to take 31st overall in the 6K race, which was the best finish for a Lady Bulldog at the meet since Sarah Madebach finished 18th during her senior year in 2007.

Krueger is the first Georgia runner to advance to the NCAA Cross Country Championships since Natalie Picchetti earned All-American honors after finishing 22nd at the 2007 meet. The 2006 season was the last year the women’s team advanced to the national meet.

“I am thrilled Kristie has gotten this chance this year, but I want to see both teams here in the future,” Pigg said. “This will be a great experience for her and I think something that will help her get us back here in the future.”

- Georgia Sports Communications