SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – For the first time in her career, Anna Büttner has been selected as an individual qualifier for the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship.

"Anna ran with grit and determination at the NCAA West Regional Championship, and that was so fun to watch," Head Coach Jordan Carpenter said. "This meet was one we've been talking about for a while now, and with the goals of doing exactly what she did today, she earned a bid to the NCAA Championship. This season is her first year ever running cross country, so it's been a season of learning for Anna with some big highs and some learning moments along the way."

Leading San Francisco throughout the 2025 campaign in her first season on the Hilltop, Büttner established herself as one of the top runners in the conference and the West Region. Earning three top-15 finishes in four meets this season, she registered four sub-21-minute times in the women's 6k, while setting a personal best of 20:04.2 at the NCAA Division I West Regional Championship last Friday.

Kickstarting her career in style, she outpaced the field in her first-ever event and placed first overall at the USF Invitational on Friday, Aug. 29. She followed with a solid outing at the Missouri Pre-National Invitational before securing fourth place in the West Coast Conference Championship with a time of 20:09.7 on Saturday, Nov. 1.

Büttner becomes the first athlete to make an appearance in the NCAA Division I Championship since 2022, when Rubee Smee earned a 58th-place finish at Griener Family OSU Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Okla.

For more information on the San Francisco cross country and track and field programs, follow @donsxctf on Twitter, @donsxctf on Instagram and @donsxctf on Facebook.