Joseph Chebet will be running for a national title.The NCAA Men’s Division I Track and Field Committee selected the WKU senior as one of 38 individual at-large qualifiers for next weekend’s NCAA Cross Country Championships.

In what is regarded as the toughest region in the country, Chebet led the Toppers to a 25th place overall finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships in Charlotte over the weekend.

Chebet finished the 10K meter course at McAlpine Park in 29:55.23 — a time good enough for an 8th place finish.

Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville will play host to this year’s NCAA Championships this Saturday.

The familiar terrain of the Louisville course will come in handy for Chebet, who has already placed first and 10th there in separate meets this season.

Chebet is the second Topper in three seasons to qualify for the NCAA’s. Shadrack Kipchirchir accomplished the feat in 2010 and earned All-America honors with a 27th-place finish.

The Lady Toppers finished 18th this weekend, and leading the charge was standout senior Vasty Chemweno with a time of 21:48.09. The 49th place finish in the 6K meter contest marked an end for Chemweno’s cross country career.  

Freshman Lindsey Hinken finished 54th — second across the line for the Lady Toppers. Louise Hill-Stirling rounded out the top three for the Lady Toppers in 114th place.