CLINTON, Miss. - Berry's Tucker Wright secured an individual berth to the NCAA Division III National Championships in Indiana after a second place finish at the NCAA South Region meet on Saturday morning in Clinton, Miss. Troy Blackwood may join Wright at the national level next weekend, contingent on the outcome of the at-large bids, following his 19th place finish.

Wright led the Vikings to a fourth place finish with a total score of 102 points. Lynchburg, who is ranked first in the South Region and 12th nationally according to the NCAA DIII Men's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll, took first place with a team score of 51 and received an automatic berth to nationals.

Emory University clocked in at second place with 56 points followed by Washington and Lee in third. Both teams have an opportunity to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA National Championships next week.

Wright grabbed the lead from the start, pushing the pace for the mass of 160 competitors. The sophomore was clipped from the first place finish in the last 2K of the meet by the nationally recognized Chasen Hunt of Lynchburg. Only a sophomore, the Rome native achieved an incredible feat for not only himself, but for the Vikings. Wright has been a cornerstone for Berry, achieving top recognition weekly. Unsurprisingly, Wrights hard work has led him to his fifth personal record of the season at 24:36.5. The second place individual finish has earned the sophomore an opportunity to extend his season one more week.

Blackwood claimed 19th place with a personal best time of 25:26.6. In 30th place at the 2K marker, the junior climbed 11 spots to be in the top 20. Thanks to his efforts, Blackwood will wait to hear if he has made the cut to join Wright at the National Championships.

Brooks Johnson ran the best race of his career this morning, proving to everyone that he should never be counted out. After the first lap, the sophomore was hidden deep in the pack at 55th. With grit, the Augusta native used his long legs to pass his competitors one by one. In an all out effort, Johnson climbed 33 places on the leaderboard for a 22nd place finish with a time of 25:51.0.

Freshman T Harris aided in Berry's fourth place finish by adding a low 29 points to the team score. Throughout the race, Harris surpassed 14 of his opponents to clock in at 26:11. Ethan Smith finished shortly behind his teammate to claim 30th with a time of 26:17.1 and round out the scoring for the Vikings.

All five of Berry's qualifying scorers received All-Region for finishing in the top 35.

Wright will lace up his running shoes one last time this season at Nationals in Terra Haute, Ind. on Saturday, Nov. 24.