Licon Set To Compete At NCAA Championships

It's been a historic season for AJ Licon.  A place at this weekend's NCAA cross country championships has solidified the Leopard freshman as one of the greatest Leopard runners in school history - in just his first collegiate season.

A product out of Alta Loma High School, Licon competes Saturday at the NCAAs held at Waverly, Iowa, on the campus of Wartburg College.  The men's race will cover eight kilometers.

At last weekend's NCAA West Regional in Salem, Oregon, Licon finished 13th overall to earn a spot at the national meet.  Licon paced a Leopard squad which finished seventh overall, the highest-ever  La Verne placing at a West Regional.  At the regional meet, he completed the eight-kilometer course in a personal best 25:58.48 to become the first runner to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Earlier this season at the SCIAC Championships, Licon finished third overall to earn First Team All-SCIAC honors.  The third-place effort was the best-ever for a La Verne men's cross country runner at the conference championships.

The men's race at the NCAA Championships will feature approximately 280 runners and will get underway at 11 a.m. (CST)/9 a.m. (PST)