YORK COUNTY, S.C. July 26, 2022— The NCAA announced on Wednesday that Winthrop University and Visit York County were selected to host the 2024 NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships. As the precursor to the NCAA Championships, the event assembles the top Southeast men’s and women’s programs including the 2021 Women’s National Champions.
This will be the second time Winthrop University will host the regional championship. In 2018, the event brought approximately 600 athletes from more than 40 schools to York County.
“We are proud to be recognized as a first-class organization that hosts and competes against some of the biggest names in college athletics,” said Chuck Rey, Athletic Director at Winthrop University. “The NCAA’s selection is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our past performance. Andy Clinton at Visit York County, Head Coach Ben Paxton and his staff, and all of the event volunteers are the ones that deserve the credit.”
Visit York County and Winthrop University submitted a joint bid to host the championship in early 2021. The NCAA evaluated more than 3,000 submissions for championships to be held between 2023- 2025.
“Hosting a high-quality championship like this brings incredible exposure and will continue to put York County on the map for similar competitions,” said Andy Clinton, Interim President/ CEO of Visit York County. “Our community partners played a large role in our ability to host the NCAA Regional Championships including Ben Paxton, Head Track and Field Coach at Winthrop University, who was an integral liaison in the bid process.”
While venue details are yet to be finalized, the selection could signal an opportunity to host the event at Catawba Bend Preserve where construction of a new cross-country course is underway.
Through a formal partnership, Visit York County and the City of Rock Hill will be working to maximize the visitor and participant experience in the months to come.
###
About Visit York County:
Visit York County, SC is the destination marketing organization (DMO) responsible for developing an authentic, unified identity for York County, SC. As a DMO, the CVB’s goals are to promote the long-term development and marketing of their destination, focusing on convention, sports and leisure sales, tourism marketing and services. For additional information, visit www.VisitYorkCounty.com.