CLINTON, Miss. — Mississippi College's Lauren Wallace and Taylor Benoit made history, becoming the first pair of women's runners in program history to qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships in the same season.

Wallace captured the individual title at the NCAA South Regional Championships, becoming the first women's runner in school history to win a regional crown. She crossed the line in 21 minutes, 18.27 seconds, pulling away over the final two miles to win by nearly five seconds and earn an automatic berth to nationals.

Benoit joined her teammate with a strong seventh-place finish in 21:46.72, securing an individual at-large selection to the national meet.

"It's an incredible moment for our program," head coach Joe Snyder said. "Lauren and Taylor have worked extremely hard all season and truly earned this opportunity. To have two women representing Mississippi College at the national championships for the first time is something special, and it speaks to the direction our program is headed. It's been an historic year for our women's program and I'm so proud of what they've been able to accomplish. I'm excited to see what these ladies can do against the best that D2 has to offer."

The NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wisconsin, hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Parkside.