TERRE HAUTE, IN - Rutgers cross country standout Julie Culley (Lebanon, NJ) finished first in the open race at Pre-Nationals today in Terre Haute, IN. Culley finished with a time of 20:55.7, running against 235 other competitors.

Pre-Nationals consists of three races, with the first two sections—the team races--being the focus of the event. The third section is an open race, which is for individuals. The two team races are to help the NCAA national committee choose at-large berths for teams that are not automatically seeded to compete in the NCAA Championships.

The course where Pre-Nationals were held will be the site of the NCAA Championships, set for Monday, Nov. 25. “Julie is a likely candidate for NCAA Championships and it is really to her advantage to know the course before then,” said head coach Roberta Anthes.

“I was very excited about getting into the open race,” said Culley. “Everyone here was running their best to try and further their team’s results [in the first two sections]. It was better for me to go out in the open race and be relaxed and confident. In a month from now when I see this course again there will be much more pressure.”

Culley and the rest of the RU women’s cross country team will next compete in the BIG EAST Championships on Friday, Nov. 1 in Boston, MA.