The cross country season starts Tuesday for UW and SeattleU at Magnuson Park...
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| Oregon's Maddy Elmore and Duke transfer Amina Maatoug, now at Washington, could battle for individual honors at the Big 10 Conference championships in October (Paul Merca photo) |
After a season where the Washington women won the final Pac-12 Cross Country championships, and finished eighth at the NCAA championships, the Huskies' quest to make the podium at this season's national championships begins Tuesday morning at Warren G. Magnuson Park with a dual meet against Seattle University at 9 am, starting with the women's 5k first, and the men's five mile at 9:30.
In the USTFCCCA Division I national coaches' preseason poll, the UW women are ranked number 5, while other websites, including Flotrack and The Stride Report have them in the top five.
The Huskies have not missed the NCAA championship meet since 2006, and last made the podium in 2011 when they finished second behind Georgetown. Last year's eighth place finish was the highest in the Maurica Powell era.
While all seven runners from last year's team that finished eighth at NCAAs are back, the Huskies have a legitimate number one runner in Duke transfer Amina Maatoug (Paul Merca photo) on the roster to take the pressure off both Olympian Sophie O'Sullivan and Chloe Foerster.
For SeattleU's women's squad, led by new coach Jordana LeSavage, it will be an opportunity to see what she has to work with from the team that finished sixth at the Western Athletic Conference championships.
While the Redhawks return top runner Azalea Groleau, they add Saint Martin's Alisha Saucedo, was eighth at the GNAC cross country championships.
The men's five mile race at 9:30 features a Husky squad that ended 2023 on a disappointing note after missing the national championship meet for the first time since 2016.
The 25th ranked Huskies will have five returning from last year's regional team, including their top three: Nathan Green, Evan Jenkins, and Jamar Distel.
SeattleU has five of their seven runners returning from last year's regionals team that finished 28th in Sacramento, led by junior Khalid Hirsi.
As has been the case historically in this meet, a number of runners from both teams will compete unattached and/or may be held out.
PRO NOTES:
While it's starting to wind down over the next few weeks, there is still some pro track and field meets on the European continent to contest.
Tuesday in Rovereto, Italy, Washington alum Carley Thomas races in the 800 meters at the Palio Città della Quercia meet in Rovereto, Italy.
Husky alum Eleanor Fulton and Woodinville native Olivia Markezich are on the start list in the women's 3000 meters.
Also happening Tuesday is the Copenhagen Athletics Games, a World Athletics Continental Tour-Silver meet.
Allie Buchalski (3000), Waleed Suliman and Henry Wynne (mile) of the Brooks Beasts are all in action, as is former Husky Wilma Nielsen (800).
Nielsen is coming off a victory in Saturday's annual Finland vs Sweden Finnkampen dual meet in Helsinki, where she won the 1500 in 4:10.56.
NOTE: The sports information offices of the University of Washington, Seattle University, USTFCCCA, and World Athletics contributed to this report.
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