SEATTLE (Nov. 11) -- Doris Heritage of Seattle Pacific University has been voted the Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's cross country coach of the year.

Heritage will lead the Falcon men to their first-ever NCAA Division II national meet appearance Nov. 20 in Evansville, Ind. It will be the first national meet appearance for the SPU men since 1961 when they qualified for the NAIA nationals.

SPU, which won the GNAC title last month at McKinleyville, Ca., qualified for the national meet by placing third at last Saturday's NCAA Division II West Regional at Bellingham.

Heritage, a 1964 graduate of SPU, is in her 27th season as the Falcons' head cross country coach. She has been conference women's coach of the year four times. The SPU women were second in the GNAC and fourth in the region this season. Karen Dickson won the conference title and will represent the Falcons at the NCAA Championships.