Rodriguez edges defending PLU Invitational champ Correa as Wildcats go 1-2 in men's race...
PARKLAND--In the only competition involving a Washington Division I or II school this weekend, the Central Washington men finished second, while the women's squad finished fourth at the Pacific Lutheran University Invitational on the PLU Meadows campus course Saturday.
The men's 8k race saw a group of four tightly bunched at the 4k mark in 12:23, with defending champion Johan Correa (#107) and teammate Ramon Rodriguez (Paul Merca photo) up front.
The group of four stayed together through the final lap in 18:35, before Rodriguez and Correa broke away in the final kilometer.
Rodriguez, the junior from Madrid, Spain, put on a burst over the last 300 meters to take the win in 24:27, with Correa one second behind.
Yemane Mulugeta of Trinity Western in Langley, BC was third in 24:29, followed by Evan Markelz of Lewis & Clark, in 24:30, and David Mutai of Trinity Western in fifth in 24:44.
Luke Hurd was third across the line for Central in 20th at 25:32, followed by Will McGonigal in 22nd at 25:35, and Colin Hitchcock in 28th in 26:02.
Central's inability to narrow the gap between their two frontrunners came back to haunt the Wildcats, as they lost out on the team title by a 67-73 margin to George Fox.
The Wildcats had a 1-5 split of 1:35 between Rodriguez and Hitchcock.
Whitworth was third with 103, followed by Lewis & Clark at 104, then Trinity Western at 108 in the 13 team field, which comprised primarily of NCAA D3 and community college squads.
Constance Nankivel of Trinity Western successfully defended her women's 6k title, winning in 20:29, followed by Riley Buese of Lewis & Clark in 21:14, Breanna Schmitt and Ellie Rising of George Fox in third and fourth in 21:41 and 22:10, and Malia Heien of Lewis & Clark in fifth in 22:12.
Payton Conover was Central Washington's top finisher in eighth in 22:54.
Hannah Pidduck in 15th at 23:17, and Helena Bonilla in 18th at 23:33 were the other two Wildcats in the top 20.
George Fox won the team title with 31 points, followed by Lewis & Clark at 69, then Whitworth at 84, one point lower than Central Washington. The University of Puget Sound was fifth at 157.
Central will take next week off and compete next on October 5th at the George Bowles Invitational in Salem, Oregon, while the rest of the Washington D2 schools will compete at the Bill Roe Invitational hosted by Western Washington in Ferndale on September 28th.
NOTE: The sports information office of Central Washington University and Pacific Lutheran University contributed to this report.
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