Nebraska Wesleyan junior cross country runner Johnny Rutford was selected to compete in the 2012 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships that will be held Nov. 17 at the LaVern Gibson Course in Terra Haute, Ind. The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology will host the championships with the men's race to begin at 11 a.m. ET.

Rutford was one of 56 individuals that was selected to participate in the championships as he was one of the first seven athletes in his region that was not part of a qualifying team. Rutford placed 12th overall at the Central Region Championships last Saturday (Nov. 10) in Northfield, Minn., and was the top Prairie Wolves runner.

Rutford competed in the 2011 NCAA III Championships and placed 194th overall.

The Nebraska Wesleyan men have their streak of qualifying as a team snapped at 15 straight seasons as this will be the first time the NWU men have not qualified since the 1996 season.