Nationally ranked Huskies debut in non-scoring meet against SeattleU...
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| UW freshman Megan Beauchene (second from left) leads a group of runners up Kite Hill, including eventual winner Anna Maxwell, in black top (photo by Paul Merca) |
SEATTLE--The nationally ranked University of Washington cross country teams (#15 women, #27 men) got their season started with its annual low-key non-scoring meet Friday afternoon against Seattle University at Warren G. Magnuson Park, with several athletes from both teams wearing different jerseys.
In the women's 3 mile race, a group of six runners led by UW freshmen Megan Beauchene and Anna Maxwell set the tempo early on.
In the end, Maxwell, a product of San Lorenzo Valley HS in California and member of the 2014 Team USA squad that ran in the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country race took the win with a time of 16:54, with Maddie Meyers and Kaylee Flanagan right behind in 16:55.
Lila Rice was SeattleU's top finisher in fourth in a time of 16:59.
In the men's 4.5 mile race, there was a large group of about 10-12 runners for the first two laps of the three-lap race around Magnuson Park, until things heated up as the runners went up Kite Hill.
UW junior Tyler King (left/photo by Paul Merca) pulled away in the final lap to outdistance Nathan Wadhwani 22:07-22:10.
AJ Yarnall of the Huskies was third in 22:19 with teammate Meron Simon fourth in the same time.
SeattleU's Gus Arroyo was fifth in 22:20, followed by heralded freshman Fred Huxham, last season's California state champ at 3200m.
Afterwards, UW coach Greg Metcalf said, “This was the first tempo run post-Megan Goethals, Lindsay Flanagan, Justine Johnson, with Katie Flood and Liberty Miller just having track left as well. So we have lots of really good youngsters on the women’s side. Anna Maxwell and Megan Beauchene looked great. Kaylee Flanagan had a great summer of training. That group of young women I think is pretty exciting and when you add Katie Knight, Eleanor Fulton and Amy-Eloise Neale in the mix, I think that’s a team that come November has the potential to be good.”
On his men's squad, which is ranked nationally for the first time since the 2009 season, he said, “I think this is the deepest group of young men we’ve had in a long time,” said Metcalf. “It’s nice to see Tyler King who healthy and he had a great summer, and he wanted to get that win today. The rest of the guys it was a relatively controlled tempo effort. So I think we walk away from the meet with a lot of positives but now we have to go to work and be better a month from now.”
The Huskies heads to Seabrook on the Washington coast beginning Tuesday for its annual team training camp before they host the Sundodger Invitational on September 20th at Lincoln Park in West Seattle.
NOTE: The University of Washington contributed to this report.
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