WEEKEND RECAP: Spokane native Nick Hauger wins WCC cross country crown; SeattleU men third at WAC...
Here’s the rundown on the three conference championships contested Saturday:
HAUGER WINS WCC TITLE, WHILE GONZAGA’S MWAURA TAKES NINTH
In Provo, Utah, the University of Portland’s Nick Hauger (left/photo by Mike Scott) won the West Coast Conference cross country title at the East Bay Golf Course hosted by Brigham Young University.
Hauger, a product of Spokane’s Shadle Park HS, took a two-second win in the high altitude of Provo over the 8-k course running 23:21, with host BYU’s Connor McMillan second at 23:23.
The host Cougars, ranked #2 in the USTFCCCA men’s poll, put six runners in the top eight to easily win the WCC team title with 21 points to easily outdistance #5 Portland, who scored 52 points.
Freshman James Mwaura of Gonzaga finished ninth in 23:58, as the # 26 Bulldogs took third with 94 points.
Behind Mwaura were Peter Hogan, who finished 13th in 24:12, followed by Yacine Guemali in 19th at 24:24. Bennett Gagnon was 27th at 24:55, while Scott Kopczynski rounded out the Zag scorers in 25:04.
"We had a good day today and fought hard early," Director of Gonzaga Cross Country Pat Tyson said. "All nine of our guys were in the hunt! James ran to win! He faded a bit, but broke 24 minutes at 4500 feet altitude! He keeps learning and has smart instincts!
In the women’s 6k race, the Bulldogs finished ninth with 206 points, led by Aimee Piercy, who was 29th in 22:34.
Caroline McCarthy (22:55) and Katherine Gustafson (23:02) were 43rd and 45th. Ally Legard (23:05) and Monica Ripple (23:15) were right in that pack in 48th and 50th to close out the Bulldog scorers.
Erika Bird of BYU won the women’s title in a time of 19:46, leading the number 9 ranked Cougars to the team title with a low score of 27 points. Number 19 Portland finished second with a score of 40 points.
Complete results of the West Coast Conference championships are available here.
SEATTLE U’S ELI BOUDOURIS AND BEN MONK PLACE IN THE TOP TEN AT WAC TITLE RACE
In Seattle, Seattle University’s Eli Boudoris and Ben Monk finished seventh and eighth to lead the Redhawks to a third place finish at the Western Athletic Conference cross country championships hosted by the Redhawks at a foggy Jefferson Park Golf Course on Beacon Hill.
Boudouris, the school record holder in the 3000 steeplechase, led the Redhawks with his time of 24:34 over the 8k course, while Monk came in in 24:40.
Sophomore Nathan Pixler finished third for the Redhawks with a time of 25:05, good for 18th overall in the field. Senior Jacques Hebert followed shortly thereafter in 24th at 25:10, his best time of the season, and classmate Cal Davidson-Turner ended with a time of 25:27 to place 33rd.
Utah Valley’s Kevin Lynch won the individual title in 24:03, as the Wolverines placed four in the top nine to take the team title with 30 points.
The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley finished second with 72, with Seattle University third at 88 points.
In the women’s 6k championship race, SeattleU finished seventh with 202 points, led by Megan Delorey’s 38th place finish in 22:20.
Scoring for the Redhawks were Rachel Kastama, who finished just one second behind at 22:21 in 40th. Freshman Ellie Postma came in third for Seattle U at 22:34 (44th), while juniors Shannan Higgins (22:57) and Thea Foulk (22:57) closed the scoring in 48th and 49th.
Anett Somogyi of Cal Baptist won the race in 20:52, defeating defending champion Mia Jerman of UM-Kansas City by three seconds.
Cal Baptist, competing in NCAA Division I for the first time after competing in the Division II ranks, won the team title with 33 points over Utah Valley’s 61 points, and UM-Kansas City’s 89 points.
Complete results of the Western Athletic Conference championships are available here.
TOUGH DAY FOR INEXPERIENCED EASTERN WASHINGTON SQUAD
In Sacramento, it was a rough day for both Eastern Washington teams at the Big Sky Conference championship meet at Haggin Oaks Golf Course, with both teams, comprised primarily of freshmen and sophomores with little or no championship meet experience under new coach Sam Read, finishing 11th.
In the women’s 5k, sophomore Lily Tyrrell led the way with a time of 19:04.
She was followed by Johanna Sherman in 71st (19:16), Erika Leinweber in 76th (19:32), Ashley Arreola in 77th (19:46), and Phoenix Aguilar in 78th (20:14).
Angie Nickerson of Southern Utah won the individual title in 16:31 to help SUU dethrone defending champion Northern Arizona by a 52-56 count.
Isaac Barville led the way for the young Eastern Washington squad in the mens’ 8k championship race, finishing 46th in 25:21.
Behind Barville for the Eagles were Carter Ledwith in 50th (25:27), Domenic Rehm in 57th (25:37), Colton Egberg in 71st (26:11), and Jacob Stirpe in 75th (26:23).
Northern Arizona, the two-time defending national champions, easily dispatched the competition with a low score of 21 points, as they placed four runners in the top four, led by Matthew Baxter’s winning time of 22:46.
Southern Utah was second at 76 points, two points better than Weber State’s 78.
Complete results of the Big Sky Conference championship meet is available here.
Gonzaga, Seattle University and Eastern Washington, along with the University of Washington and Washington State University will all converge upon Sacramento’s Haggin Oaks Golf Course on Friday November 9th for the NCAA West Regional championships, with berths to the NCAA cross country championships in Madison, Wisconsin on the line.
NOTE: Gonzaga University, Seattle University, the West Coast Conference, the Western Athletic Conference, and the Big Sky Conference contributed to this report.
HAUGER WINS WCC TITLE, WHILE GONZAGA’S MWAURA TAKES NINTH
Hauger, a product of Spokane’s Shadle Park HS, took a two-second win in the high altitude of Provo over the 8-k course running 23:21, with host BYU’s Connor McMillan second at 23:23.
The host Cougars, ranked #2 in the USTFCCCA men’s poll, put six runners in the top eight to easily win the WCC team title with 21 points to easily outdistance #5 Portland, who scored 52 points.
Freshman James Mwaura of Gonzaga finished ninth in 23:58, as the # 26 Bulldogs took third with 94 points.
Behind Mwaura were Peter Hogan, who finished 13th in 24:12, followed by Yacine Guemali in 19th at 24:24. Bennett Gagnon was 27th at 24:55, while Scott Kopczynski rounded out the Zag scorers in 25:04.
"We had a good day today and fought hard early," Director of Gonzaga Cross Country Pat Tyson said. "All nine of our guys were in the hunt! James ran to win! He faded a bit, but broke 24 minutes at 4500 feet altitude! He keeps learning and has smart instincts!
In the women’s 6k race, the Bulldogs finished ninth with 206 points, led by Aimee Piercy, who was 29th in 22:34.
Caroline McCarthy (22:55) and Katherine Gustafson (23:02) were 43rd and 45th. Ally Legard (23:05) and Monica Ripple (23:15) were right in that pack in 48th and 50th to close out the Bulldog scorers.
Erika Bird of BYU won the women’s title in a time of 19:46, leading the number 9 ranked Cougars to the team title with a low score of 27 points. Number 19 Portland finished second with a score of 40 points.
Complete results of the West Coast Conference championships are available here.
SEATTLE U’S ELI BOUDOURIS AND BEN MONK PLACE IN THE TOP TEN AT WAC TITLE RACE
Boudouris, the school record holder in the 3000 steeplechase, led the Redhawks with his time of 24:34 over the 8k course, while Monk came in in 24:40.
Sophomore Nathan Pixler finished third for the Redhawks with a time of 25:05, good for 18th overall in the field. Senior Jacques Hebert followed shortly thereafter in 24th at 25:10, his best time of the season, and classmate Cal Davidson-Turner ended with a time of 25:27 to place 33rd.
Utah Valley’s Kevin Lynch won the individual title in 24:03, as the Wolverines placed four in the top nine to take the team title with 30 points.
The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley finished second with 72, with Seattle University third at 88 points.
In the women’s 6k championship race, SeattleU finished seventh with 202 points, led by Megan Delorey’s 38th place finish in 22:20.
Scoring for the Redhawks were Rachel Kastama, who finished just one second behind at 22:21 in 40th. Freshman Ellie Postma came in third for Seattle U at 22:34 (44th), while juniors Shannan Higgins (22:57) and Thea Foulk (22:57) closed the scoring in 48th and 49th.
Anett Somogyi of Cal Baptist won the race in 20:52, defeating defending champion Mia Jerman of UM-Kansas City by three seconds.
Cal Baptist, competing in NCAA Division I for the first time after competing in the Division II ranks, won the team title with 33 points over Utah Valley’s 61 points, and UM-Kansas City’s 89 points.
Complete results of the Western Athletic Conference championships are available here.
TOUGH DAY FOR INEXPERIENCED EASTERN WASHINGTON SQUAD
In Sacramento, it was a rough day for both Eastern Washington teams at the Big Sky Conference championship meet at Haggin Oaks Golf Course, with both teams, comprised primarily of freshmen and sophomores with little or no championship meet experience under new coach Sam Read, finishing 11th.
In the women’s 5k, sophomore Lily Tyrrell led the way with a time of 19:04.
She was followed by Johanna Sherman in 71st (19:16), Erika Leinweber in 76th (19:32), Ashley Arreola in 77th (19:46), and Phoenix Aguilar in 78th (20:14).
Angie Nickerson of Southern Utah won the individual title in 16:31 to help SUU dethrone defending champion Northern Arizona by a 52-56 count.
Isaac Barville led the way for the young Eastern Washington squad in the mens’ 8k championship race, finishing 46th in 25:21.
Behind Barville for the Eagles were Carter Ledwith in 50th (25:27), Domenic Rehm in 57th (25:37), Colton Egberg in 71st (26:11), and Jacob Stirpe in 75th (26:23).
Northern Arizona, the two-time defending national champions, easily dispatched the competition with a low score of 21 points, as they placed four runners in the top four, led by Matthew Baxter’s winning time of 22:46.
Southern Utah was second at 76 points, two points better than Weber State’s 78.
Complete results of the Big Sky Conference championship meet is available here.
Gonzaga, Seattle University and Eastern Washington, along with the University of Washington and Washington State University will all converge upon Sacramento’s Haggin Oaks Golf Course on Friday November 9th for the NCAA West Regional championships, with berths to the NCAA cross country championships in Madison, Wisconsin on the line.
NOTE: Gonzaga University, Seattle University, the West Coast Conference, the Western Athletic Conference, and the Big Sky Conference contributed to this report.
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