PORTLAND, Ore.- The Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) released its preseason Men's and Women's Cross Country Coaches Poll on Monday afternoon. The Wildcat men's cross-country team was picked to finish fifth, while the Wildcat women's team was slotted seventh in the conference.
The Central Washington men's cross-country team looks to build on last year's momentum under head coach
Jonathan Hill. The Wildcats put together a solid 2024 regular season, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the Green River Gator Invitational and a runner-up showing at the Pacific Lutheran Invitational. They went on to place fifth at the GNAC Championships and now aim to continue that upward trend. Senior
Luke Hurd leads the returning squad after finishing 26
th (25:42.6) at the GNAC Championships. He'll be joined by fellow returners
Charlie Naught (38
th),
Max Hutton (40
th), and
Ethan Moore (76
th), all of whom bring valuable experience into the new season.
The Central Washington women's cross-country team is aiming to take a significant step forward in 2025 after showing competitive promise last season. Leading the charge are returning sophomores
Payton Conover and
Hannah Pidduck, who both made an impact as freshmen. Conover tied for 31
st (23:03.7), with Pidduck close behind in 33
rd (23:12.0). Also returning with championship meet experience are
Araceli Esquivel (42
nd),
Camryn Holterhoff (43
rd),
Helayna Bonilla (63
rd), and
Julie Johnson (68
th), giving the Wildcats a solid core of experienced runners heading into the new season.
The Wildcats will open their 2025 cross country season on Saturday, September 6
th, by hosting the Central Washington XC Opener in Ellensburg, Wash. This home meet marks an early opportunity for the team to establish momentum and measure up against conference competition.
Central Washington will then hit the road for the Cougar Classic on Friday, September 12
th, held at the Colfax Golf Club in Colfax, Wash. The following weekend, the Wildcats will compete in the Pacific Lutheran Invitational on Saturday, September 20
th, at PLU Meadows in Tacoma, Wash.
On Saturday, September 27
th, the team will head north to Ferndale, Wash., for the Bill Roe Invitational, hosted by Western Washington at Hovander Park, a notable rivalry meet on the calendar.
The final regular-season race comes on Saturday, October 11
th, at the Emerald City Open in Seattle, Wash., taking place at Lower Woodland Park. This meet will serve as the last competitive test before the postseason.
The Wildcats will then prepare for the GNAC Championships, scheduled for Saturday, October 28
th, at Amend Park in Billings, Montana.
2025 GNAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
| Rank |
School (1st Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Western Washington (10) |
100 |
| 2 |
Alaska Anchorage |
83 |
| 3 |
Simon Fraser |
73 |
| 4 |
Alaska |
69 |
| 5 |
Seattle Pacific |
61 |
| 6 |
Western Oregon |
55 |
| 7 |
Central Washington |
43 |
| 8 |
Northwest Nazarene |
31 |
| 9 |
Montana State Billings |
19 |
| 10 |
Saint Martin's |
18 |
2025 GNAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
| Rank |
School (1st Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Western Washington (8) |
98 |
| 2 |
Northwest Nazarene (2) |
92 |
| 3 |
Alaska Anchorage |
73 |
| 4 |
Western Oregon |
72 |
| 5 |
Central Washington |
57 |
| 6 |
Simon Fraser |
56 |
| 7 |
Alaska |
39 |
| 8 |
Seattle Pacific |
32 |
| 9 |
Saint Martin's |
21 |
| 10 |
Montana State Billings |
10 |
View the full GNAC release
HERE
