Vikings take to Chambers Creek in advance of Friday's NCAA D2 cross country championships...
UNIVERSITY PLACE--The 16th ranked Western Washington men's cross country team (Paul Merca photo) went through its paces at Chambers Creek Regional Park Thursday afternoon in advance of Friday's NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.
Under partly cloudy skies, the team did a light run over the course which they've raced on twice this season at the John Payne Curtis Invitational, and the NCAA D2 Pre-Nationals meet hosted by Seattle Pacific.
While the light dusting of snow that hit Pierce County Wednesday afternoon and into the evening melted by the time teams inspected the course on Thursday, there were some minor concerns about the condition of the course.
On a walk over parts of the course, most of the water had been absorbed into the ground at Chambers Creek, though there were a few minor spots that were muddy. A majority of coaches polled said their teams would wear 1/2 inch spikes on their racing shoes Friday, though some may opt for 3/8 inch spikes.
Western has eight entries Friday, led by Jeret Gillingham, who was third at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships. The Vikings will decide which seven will run when the team checks in about an hour before race time.
Saint Martin's Alauna Carstens, the only female competitor from the four Washington Division II schools in the meet, opted not to go to the course and elected to get her pre-meet workout in Seattle where all the teams are staying as part of the NCAA Division II National Championships Festival. Like the Western Washington men's team, she has raced twice this season at Chambers, winning the John Payne Curtis Invitational.
The Festival comprises of national championships in mens & women's soccer, women's volleyball, women's field hockey, and men's and women's cross country. All events except for cross country are within King County, with soccer at Interbay Stadium, volleyball at Brougham Pavilion, and field hockey at Renton Memorial Stadium. Seattle Pacific is the host school.
Admission to the NCAA cross country championships is free; however, there is a $10 parking fee. For those who can't come down, the meet will be streamed live on NCAA.com starting shortly before 10 am.
BUCHALSKI FINISHES TENTH AT FITNESSBANK CROSS CHAMPS...
Allie Buchalski of Seattle's Brooks Beasts, the defending champion, finished tenth at the FitnessBank Cross Champs Thursday afternoon on the campus of St. Stephens High School in Austin, Texas.
Buchalski finished the 8k course in a time of 27:53.
Behind her in 13th place was Washington alum Allie Schadler, now competing for Puma Elite out of North Carolina, as the first year pro ran 28:02.
Marta Pen Freitas of the Brooks Beasts was 18th in a time of 28:33.
Alicia Monson of On Athletics Club won the race in a time of 26:56.
In the men's 8k race, Spokane native John Dressel, now competing for Puma Elite, was 25th in 24:28, as Edwin Kurgat of the American Distance Project won in 23:28.
The FitnessBank Cross Champs is part of World Athletics' Cross Country Tour, a series of meets around the world helping athletes prepare for next February's World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia.
NOTE: Sound Running, Western Washington University, Saint Martin's University, the NCAA and the Brooks Beasts contributed to this report.
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