WEEKEND WRAPUP: Isaac Derline wins WWU Classic XC Invite; Viking alum Crouch 2nd American at Chicago...
BELLINGHAM—Western Washington’s Isaac Derline (above/photo courtesy WWU Athletics) became the first Viking since 2009 to win the individual title at the 43rd annual Western Washington Invitational on a rainy and windy Saturday morning at East Lake Padden Park.
The junior from Kent covered the 10k course in a time of 31:14 to win by four seconds over Joel Deschiffart of Canada’s Trinity Western University.
Trinity Western took the team title by a comfortable 37-53 margin over reigning GNAC champion Alaska Anchorage, as many teams from the GNAC ran in Bellingham to preview the course that will host the conference championship on the 22nd.
Simon Fraser finished third with 94 points, two less than Western Washington’s 96.
Among other GNAC schools, Central Washington finished eighth with 225, followed by Concordia/Oregon in ninth at 290 points.
Alaska Fairbanks was 11th with 331, followed by Seattle Pacific with 341, and Saint Martin’s at 364.
Josh Boston was Central Washington’s top runner in 46th in 33:15. Ben Halladay led Seattle Pacific with his 35th place finish in 32:53, and Jasper Heckman was Saint Martin’s top runner in 88th at 34:24.
In the women’s 6k race, Seattle Pacific’s Sarah Macdonald avenged a loss from Saint Martin’s Shannon Porter two weeks ago, as Macdonald finished fourth in the women’s 6k race in 21:46, two seconds ahead of Porter.
Trinity Western’s Regan Yee was the overall winner, covering the course in 21:25, two seconds ahead of Caroline Kurgat of Alaska Anchorage.
Defending GNAC champion Alaska Anchorage took the team title by a 76-81 count over Trinity Western.
In what will surely cause some changes in the next USTFCCCA Division II coaches’ poll, unranked Simon Fraser was third with 101 points, while #18 Seattle Pacific was fifth with 122 points.
Host Western Washington, who were led by Brittany Grant’s 17th place finish in 22:27, finished seventh with 159 points.
Saint Martin’s was ninth with 242 points, just ahead of Central Washington in tenth with 247 points. Alexa Shindruck was Central’s top runner in 29th in 22:54.
In Chicago, Western Washington alum Sarah Crouch finished ninth and was the second American woman overall at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Sunday, clocking a time of 2:33:48.
Seattle’s Emma Polley was 16th overall in a time of 2:40:56.
Abel Kirui of Kenya won the mens’ race in 2:11:23, while countrywoman Florence Kiplagat took the women’s title in 2:21.32.
NOTE: The sports information office of Western Washington University and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon contributed to this report.
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