2024 Cross Country Preview: Central Washington University...

After a few years away from previewing the state's nine NCAA Division I and II cross country teams due to our emphasis on the late summer pro competitions, paulmerca.blogspot.com is posting a series of snapshots of the state's teams.

Last week, we previewed the state's five Division I schools, all of whom have competed in the last few days.

We now turn our attention to Washington's four Division II schools, starting with Central Washington, led by second year head coach Jonathan Hill.

The Wildcats were sixth in the conference on the men's side and fourteenth in the West Regionals, led by regional champion Johan Correa (Paul Merca photo). 

Correa had a breakout cross country season in 2023, winning four meets, including the regionals, with his only loss coming at the GNAC championships in Anchorage, where Western Washington's Kevin McDermott beat him by four seconds.

Correa became the school's first cross country All-American with his 17th place finish at the national championships in Joplin, Missouri.

Returning from the team that competed at regionals are Chase Perez (116th), Jack Pratapas (124th), Max Hutton (130th), and Colin Hitchcock (131st).

The Wildcats add grad student Will McGonigal, who competed for Wayne State of Nebraska, along with Luke Hurd from Spokane CC, the NWAC cross country champion.

Central was picked to finish sixth in the conference in its coaches' pre-season poll.

While Correa is a known quantity as an All-American, the question is how he responds now that he's one of the individual favorites for the conference and regional championships.

The other question is how close the rest of the team can run behind Correa, especially after apparently losing Steiner Christensen, who was 21st at the NCAA regionals, and their clear number two runner last season. Christensen, who was a freshman last season, is not listed on the CWU roster.

The women struggled to stay out of the GNAC basement, finishing ninth, one point ahead of MSU-Billings in the ten-team conference championship meet. They were 23rd at the NCAA West Regionals.

Hannah Mikkelsen (126th), Camryn Holterhoff (127th), Eva Herion (153rd), Beatrice Le Gore (154th) all return from last year's team that competed at the NCAA regional meet in Monmouth, Oregon.

Payton Conover from Meadowdale HS, who was inside the top 40 at the Washington 3A championships is the most significant newcomer on the team.

The big question concerning the women's squad is whether or not others from their incoming freshman class (five, plus one JC transfer) can step up and possibly challenge the returning runners. Conversely, can the returning runners make a jump over the course of the season.

In the GNAC pre-season poll, Central was picked by the coaches to finish ninth.

The Wildcats will see all three Washington GNAC schools three times before the conference championship meet on October 26th in Bellingham: at the Green River Invitational on September 14th; the WWU Bill Roe Classic in Ferndale on September 28th; and the Emerald City Open in Seattle on October 12th.

Central has two additional meets on its regular season schedule--the Pacific Lutheran Invitational in Tacoma on September 21st, and the George Bowles Invitational in Salem, Oregon on October 5th, hosted by Willamette University.

After the GNAC championships in Bellingham, the NCAA West Regionals will be held in Billings, Montana, and the NCAA Division II championships will be contested in Sacramento, California.

NOTE: The sports information office of Central Washington University and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference contributed to this report.

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