WHAT TO WATCH: GNAC title on the line, Cascade Conference championships, and Washington pros race on the streets of New York...
Both the men’s and women’s side will feature four top-ranked teams with the eighth-ranked in the USTFCCCA coaches’ poll Simon Fraser the current favorite to take home both conference titles.
On the women’s side, number 13 Seattle Pacific and number 14 Western Washington are looking for strong showings in Monmouth.
Western Washington, which placed third in 2017, brings a young team to the GNAC Championship, but one that has proven the ability to compete with the front-runners. The Vikings have been led this season by freshman Rebecca Lehman, who ran her season-best of 22:23 at the WWU Classic. Junior Sophia Galvez was just five seconds behind in 22:28. Galvez placed 28th at last year’s conference meet.
Junior Tracy Melville is the top returning finisher for the Vikings from last year, placing 13th in 22:23.83. Sophomore Jane Barr returns after placing 24th as a freshman.
Despite not having a senior in the meet, Seattle Pacific still has the potential to be in the title discussion. Freshman Kaylee Mitchell has been the Falcons’ No. 1 runner for much of the season, turning in a season-best of 22:01 at the WWU Classic. Seattle Pacific returns three of its top-five runners from last year’s meet in sophomore Dania Holmberg (19th) and juniors Kate Lilly and Katherine Walter.
After finishing just out of the top-10 last year, Central Washington senior Alexa Shindruk (above/photo by Paul Merca) hopes that this will be the year for an All-GNAC race. Shindruk placed 11th last year and enters the meet with a season-best of 22:36 over 6,000 meters. Sophomore Nicole Soleim enters with a season-best of 22:28.
On the men’s side, Western Washington, which is ranked #21 in the USTFCCCA D2 coaches’ poll, has the best chance of earning a team podium placing in Monmouth.
The Vikings are led by junior Jadon Olson, who finished seventh in last year’s meet in 25:29.10. Sophomore Eric Hamel finished ninth at the WWU Classic, clocking 32:18 over 10,000 meters, and was 20th at conference last year. Ed Kilobasa has turned in a steady sophomore season, finishing 20th at the WWU Classic. Senior Dylan Hayes also returns after placing 21st in last year’s championships.
While neither Central Washington nor Seattle Pacific have any significant depth to make a run at a top 4 finish, they do have two exciting freshmen who could make an impact.
For the Wildcats, it’s Turlan Morlan, who opened his career with a win at the CWU Invitational, while the Falcons counter with Colby Otero, who ran 25:17.9 in September at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational.
This year's GNAC Cross Country Championships will be streamed live through the conference Stretch Internet portal, GNAC.tv. The webcast will begin at approximately 9:55 a.m., just prior to the start of the men's 8,000-meter race at 10 a.m. The webcast will include the women's 6,000-meter race at 11 a.mn., followed by the meet's awards ceremony at approximately noon.
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference preview of the meet is available here, while the link to live results is available here.
Though we don’t write much about the lower collegiate ranks, the Cascade Collegiate Conference (NAIA) will contest its cross country championships Saturday at Lake Sammamish State Park near Issaquah, with the women’s 5k starting at 11 am, and the men’s 8k going one hour later.
Northwest College in Kirkland, coached by University of Washington alum Mark Mandi, is the host school for the championships, which features four teams each in the NAIA top-25 rankings.
On the women’s side, No. 4-ranked Oregon Tech enters the meet as the slight favorite, with No. 8-ranked Southern Oregon, No. 13-ranked College of Idaho, and No. 19-ranked Northwest Christian sure to be nipping on the Lady Owls’ heels.
The dual between No. 3-ranked Southern Oregon and No. 4-ranked College of Idaho will undoubtedly to be fun to watch, with No. 14 ranked Eastern Oregon, No. 20-ranked Northwest Christian, and (RV) Oregon Tech also demonstrating throughout the year that they possess the firepower needed to make a run for the title.
The CCC preview of the meet is available here.
In the professional ranks, all eyes are on the streets of New York for Saturday’s Abbott Dash to the Finish, which is the USATF 5k championships, and Sunday’s TCS New York City Marathon.
Saturday, new Seattle resident and University of Washington volunteer assistant coach Matthew Centrowitz is one of the headliners in the Abbott Dash to the Finish 5k.
Besides Centrowitz, three members of the Seattle based Brooks Beasts are entered in the mens field, including Kirkland native Dillon Maggard, University of Washington alum Izaic Yorks, and Henry Wynne.
Four women with Washington ties are entered in the race, including Washington alums Eleanor Fulton and Mel Lawrence, and Jessica Tonn & Allie Buchalski of the Brooks Beasts.
The course begins on Manhattan’s east side by the United Nations, then takes runners along 42nd Street past historic Grand Central Terminal and up the world-famous Avenue of the Americas past Radio City Music Hall. It then passes through the rolling hills of Central Park before finishing at the iconic TCS New York City Marathon finish line.
Saturday’s race gets underway at 5:20 am, pacific time, and can be watched online for free at USATF.tv . The New York Road Runners release previewing the race is available here, along with the list of pro athletes entered.
The next day, Washington State hall of fame member and Olympian Bernard Lagat makes his marathon debut at the TCS New York City Marathon.
Lagat, who has raced exclusively on the roads after retiring from the track after the 2016 season, is looking to break the current national masters record of 2:12:20, set by Meb Kefezighi in 2016.
The Tucson native, who told publisher Paul Merca back in April that “if I do a marathon, it will be in New York”, has done his preparation for Sunday’s race in the high altitude of Flagstaff, with feedback from long-time Arizona coach James Li, and his training partner, Juan-Luis Barrios.
“They look at my training and feel I’m at that position to run that time,” Lagat said in an interview with Runner’s World. “They tell me I’m ready, and that word alone—ready—means I will be able to run 2:12 or even 2:11 if the weather and my body cooperates.”
One advantage he feels he has is his mentality—he does not feel that at 43 years of age, that he’s over the hill.
“Thinking of yourself as an old guy, that I cannot do these things, that I’m past my prime, I reverse that and say, ‘I am older, but that doesn’t mean I can’t run with the young guys. Let’s meet at the starting line. I’m ready and if you’re not ready then I’m going to beat you.’”
Here’s an interview he did with letsrun.com shortly after arriving in New York:
Race day expects to have a high temperature of 56 degrees with mostly sunny skies and little-to-no wind.
The NYRR media guide is available here.
ESPN2, along with ESPN.com and the ESPN app will provide live coverage of the TCS New York City Marathon from 6 to 9:30 am, pacific time.
NOTE: The Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Cascade Collegiate Conference, USA Track & Field, and the New York Road Runners contributed to this report.
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