Heath wins USATF national club cross title, while Club NW women finish third...
SAN FRANCISCO—Garrett Heath (above/photo courtesy USA Track & Field) of the Seattle based Brooks Beasts won the men’s championship at the USA Track & Field National Club Cross Country Championships Saturday at Golden Gate Park.
Heath, who won the Great Edinburgh individual title earlier this year, took the title with a 29:06 clocking over the 10k course, winning by four seconds over Boulder TC’s Jonathan Grey.
University of Portland alum Scot Fauble took third in 29:26, to lead the Hoka One One NAZ squad to the team title, as all five runners finished in the top 25.
Runners from the state of Washington who finished in the top 50 included Dorian Ulrey of the Brooks Beasts in 25th (30:16); Riley Masters of the Beasts in 27th (30:22); Seth Bridges of Club Northwest in 31st (30:26) and WSU grad Drew Polley of Club Northwest in 46th (30:50).
The Beasts finished sixth with 302 points, led by Heath, Ulrey and Masters, with Travis Burkstrand finishing 68th in 31:12, and Nick Symmonds rounding out the scorers in 219th in 33:21. For Symmonds, the two-time US Olympian and 2013 world championship silver medalist at 800m, this was his first cross country race since running for Willamette University in Oregon in 2005.
Also running for the Beasts Saturday was 2015 world championships team member Cas Loxsom, who was their final runner, crossing the line in 275th place in 34:07.
Club Northwest finished 17th with 433 points, while the Seattle Running Club was 27th with 788 points.
On the women’s side, Stanford alum Jessica Tonn of the Brooks Beasts was the top finisher from the state of Washington, placing 10th in the 6k race in 20:14, just ahead of her former teammate and Sequin HS alum Stephanie Dinius, who was 11th in 20:19.
Washington alum Mel Lawrence was 14th in 20:23, while Club Northwest’s Jamie Cheever was 21st in 20:34, and teammate Amber Schultz 34th in 20:48.
Emma Kertesz of Club Northwest was 44th in 21:01, while Gonzaga alum Lindsey Drake was 46th in 21:05, one second ahead of Hannah Fields of the Brooks Beasts in 47th. SPU alum Jane Ricardi of Club Northwest was 50th in 21:11, the same time given to WSU alum Collier Lawrence in 51st.
In a close race, Amy Van Alstine of Hoka One One won the national title, running 19:51 to nose out Laura Thweatt by one second, with Rochelle Kanuho third in 19:53.
The Boston AA won the national title with 28 points, while Club Northwest finished third with 156 points, led by Cheever, Schultz, Kertesz, and Ricardi. Former Western Washington All-American Katelyn Steen rounded out the CNW scorers, finishing 59th in 21:21.
The Seattle Running Club finished 25th with 696 points.
NOTE: USA Track & Field contributed to this report.
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