South Whidbey High School’s Kaia Swegler Richmond qualified for the national United States Track and Field Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships by placing 16th out of 89 at the regional meet Nov. 17 in Yakima.

Swegler Richmond, running unattached in the girls 13-14 division, earned a national berth for the third consecutive year. She covered the 4K course in 15:42.

She did not attend the past national meets because they conflicted with her commitments to dance in the Whidbey Island Dance Theater’s production of The Nutcracker.

Swegler Richmond, however, will run this year; the national meet is Saturday, Dec. 8, in Reno.

The sophomore is ranked in the top third in the country and hopes to place in the top 100 of the more than 425 registered competitors.