Central’s women’s cross country team had two major goals when starting their 2014 season: make it to nationals and have the opportunity to run in the last race of the year.

This marks the first time the team as a whole has made it to nationals in 14 years.

The team had to finish in the top six of a loaded field of 24 in the west region and that is what they did. The Wildcat’s secured the fifth place position with a total time of 1:52:17.00 from the top five runners.

Junior, Dani Eggleston, who finished 10th in the 6k run, while her teammates, senior Connie Morgan and junior Megan Rogers, finished 13th and 14th, led the Wildcats.

Along with their teammates, sophomore Hannah Dowdell, junior Brenna Eldredge, junior Jayna Inderbitzin and junior Erin Chinchar will be heading to Louisville, Ky. for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Nationals on Dec. 6.

“It’s been a long road trying to get a team back to nationals,” head coach Kevin Adkisson said. “It has been 14 years since the girls have made it as a team. We have been seriously building our program to get back. It’s really satisfying to see this group make this achievement. It reflects the hard work they have put in. I’m really proud of everything they have achieved.”

Heading to Louisville with the Wildcats are the top 32 teams and top 25 individuals (not affiliated with those teams) in the country.

“We were truly ecstatic after the race,” Eggleston said. “Our team wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for Brenna and Megan stepping up. We are able to pick each other up when others aren’t having their best days. I’m so happy for everyone.”

While the women are happy to be going, they hope to maintain their focus in Louisville.

They aren’t going to be satisfied just making it there. They want to show the entire country what they can do.

“Just making nationals isn’t the goal,” Adkisson said. “We want to compete our best while we are there. We knew our best race as a team had to be regionals, and now our best race needs to be our next one. Nationals aren’t going to be a vacation for us. We are going to do whatever we can to be top 20 in the nation.”

While the teams hope to place as high as they can, runners will also be trying to make the top 40.

Morgan, who is a returning All-American, will be looking to lead her teammates to their best race yet as she wraps up her career as a Wildcat.

“This is awesome for our program,” Adkisson said. “We really hope to extend this success into the future. We think we can make this a thing where we make it year after year.”