Greg Metcalf named West Region women's cross country coach of the year by USTFCCCA...

University of Washington cross country coach Greg Metcalf (left/photo by Paul Merca) was named by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as its West Region women’s cross country coach of the year.

Metcalf’s Huskies won their third-straight NCAA West Region title with a 73-77 victory over Oregon last Saturday in Springfield, Oregon.

UW had two runners in the race’s top ten, led by freshmen Katie Flood and Justine Johnson’s 6-7 finish, and had all five scorers in the top 25. Washington, ranked fourth nationally, finished third in the Pac-10 Championships earlier this fall.

This marks the third year in a row that Metcalf has earned the West Region honor from the USTFCCCA.

The USTFCCCA release can be read here.

The venerable publication Track & Field News has just published what is perhaps the most in depth archive of the NCAA Division I cross country championships, as it has the results from every championship race since its inception in 1938.

If you have a lot of time to spare, this is certainly a fascinating read.


The link to the archive’s home page can be accessed here.

A total of 10 team berths for the NCAA Division II national meet - six in the women's division and four in the men's division - will be available this Saturday when the NCAA Division II West Regional returns to Lake Padden in Bellingham for the fourth time since 1998.

Three GNAC men's teams are currently ranked in the Top 4 and three women's teams are ranked in the Top 6 in the latest West Region rankings.

Five of those teams are also nationally ranked. GNAC champion Alaska Anchorage is ranked eighth, host Western Washington is 10th and Western Oregon is 16th in the men's division.

The defending region champion Seawolves and Vikings, who finished 1-2 in the GNAC conference meet, are ranked fifth and seventh in the women's national poll.

In addition to the 10 team berths available for the national meet in Louisville on Dec. 4, the top two male and female individuals not on one of the qualified teams will also qualify.

Marko Cheseto of Alaska Anchorage is the defending men's regional champion, while Chico State is the eight-time defending men's team champion.

Sarah Porter of Western Washington finished second last year in the women's race in back of Seattle Pacific's Jessica Pixler and is coming off a win in the GNAC championships two weeks ago in Yakima.

The meet program for Saturday’s NCAA Division II West Regionals is available here.

NOTE:  The USTFCCCA, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and Track & Field News contributed to this report.