THE WEEKEND AHEAD: Zags kick off busy weekend of cross country action Friday at Roy Griak Invitational...
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| Gonzaga's Wil Smith (Paul Merca photo) |
Gonzaga kicks off the weekend, as their men's squad heads to Minneapolis for the Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota at 8 am Pacific time.
The men's Gold (Division I) race starts action over the University of Minnesota Les Bolstad Golf Course at 8 am Pacific.
The Griak meet appears to be a preview of the West Coast Conference championship meet, as in addition to the Zags, Portland, the nation's number 9 team in the USTFCCCA Division I coaches poll is entered, along with the University of San Francisco and Santa Clara.
Meanwhile, the Washington Huskies head across the country to Charlottesville, Virginia for the Virginia Invitational, hosted by the University of Virginia on the same Panorama Farms course that will host the NCAA cross country championships in November.
The 18th ranked Husky men's squad will be tested early, with six USTFCCCA nationally ranked top 10 teams in the field over the 8k course, led by number one Northern Arizona, the defending national champions.
NCAA indoor mile champion Luke Houser and NCAA outdoor 1500 meter champ Nathan Green lead the charge for the Huskies, alongside NCAA cross country competitors Sam Affolder and Leo Daschbach.
Evan Jenkins, who ran at the World Athletics U20 cross country championships in February for Team USA, is entered along with freshman phenom Tyrone Gorze, and Dartmouth grad transfer Eric Gibson.
USA world championships team member and 2022 NCAA 1500 meter champ Joe Waskom is not entered in the meet.
On the women's side, the 13th ranked Dawgs will square off against four USTFCCCA top-10 teams led by number 2 Colorado over a 5k distance.
The Husky entries for the Virginia Invitational include NCAA cross country championship returnees Ella Borsheim, Naomi Smith, and Irish world championships team member Sophie O'Sullivan, who just returned to the team after extending her track season all the way to September 8th, when she raced in Trier, Germany.
Also entered in the meet are Yale transfer Samantha Friborg and Kosana Weir, Princeton transfer India Weir, and Kentucky transfer Tori Herman, who ran at the NCAA cross country meet last year.
The men's 8k begins at 5:45 am Pacific time, with the women's 5k following at 6:30 am Pacific time.
DIVISION II SCHOOLS HEAD TO BELLINGHAM FOR SATURDAY'S BILL ROE INVITATIONAL...
Central Washington, Seattle Pacific, and Saint Martin's all make the trip to Bellingham's Lake Padden Park for Saturday's Bill Roe Invitational, hosted by Western Washington University.
The meet returns to Lake Padden Park after competing at Ferndale's Hovander Homestead Park last year.
Both Western Washington teams go into the Bill Roe Invitational ranked in the USTFCCCA Division II top 30, with the men ranked number 9, and the women ranked number 27.
This could also serve as a preview of next month's Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship meet, as Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Fairbanks, and Simon Fraser all have entries in the meet.
Action at Lake Padden Park gets underway at 10 am with the women's 6k, followed by the men's 8k at 10:45 am.
NOTE: The sports information offices of Gonzaga, Washington, Minnesota, Western Washington and Virginia contributed to this report.
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