GETTYSBURG, Pa. - In attempting to qualify for the NCAA Championships in cross country, there are no second chances. 

Unlike in track & field, cross country runners are not afforded the opportunity of qualifying for nationals at any meet throughout the season. They get one shot at their NCAA regional meet to make it as either one of the top-finishing teams or individuals. 

Facing her last attempt at advancing to the Big Dance of long-distance running, Gettysburg's Kerrin Epstein made it count, finishing third out of some 311 harriers at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional and punching her ticket to compete among the nation's elite one week later. In addition, she helped the Bullets place fifth among 44 teams and gain consideration to be chosen as an at-large representative at the national meet. 

Using her trademark tactics of running from behind and closing strong, Epstein, a four-time All-Centennial Conference performer, turned in the top performance by a Bullet at regionals since Martha Orem '84 placed second in 1983. She was the eighth national qualifier in program history and the first since Jaimie Bagatti '04 in 2003. 

The race was held at a familiar setting for Epstein, who had already run on Lehigh University's Goodman Campus five times in her career – four times at the Paul Short Run and once at the 2007 NCAA Division III Mideast Regional. Earlier in the season, she had scaled the 6,000-meter course in a personal-record (PR) 21:50. 

Epstein stuck close to the front of the massive pack early on but was still around 30th a mile into the race. By the midway point, she had moved up to around 12th and was steadily gaining on the leaders. 

Heading into the final 400 meters Epstein had pulled into third, trailing only Jenn Cronin of Lebanon Valley College and Emily Lipman, the defending Centennial Conference champion from Haverford College. Loping down a long straight stretch to the finish, Epstein inched closer and closer to the two leaders but just ran out of room, finishing one second behind Lipman and six seconds after Cronin. Once again, Epstein clocked a PR, this time in 21:45 while earning her third-straight all-region award. 

In accordance with NCAA policy, the top-two teams (Johns Hopkins, Dickinson) qualified for nationals as well as the top eight runners who were not members of the qualifying teams. In addition, the NCAA could choose up to three more teams as at-large qualifiers, based on predetermined criteria such as inter-regional rankings. Unfortunately for Gettysburg, only the third-place team (Haverford) received an at-large bid, as the Bullets just missed joining the 1987 squad as the only team in school history to qualify for cross country nationals. 

Although she would make the trip by herself, Epstein closed out her XC career in style, taking 54th out of 279 runners at Highland Park Golf Course in Cleveland. Clocked at 23:09 on a hilly and muddy course, she placed within 19 spots and 18 seconds of an All-America certificate. 

Epstein provided a first-hand glimpse of her final two races in the February 2010 issue of Gettysburg's Orange & Blue Club Newsletter, which can be accessed here.