SPOKANE, Wash. – Wildcat Cross Country continues to push the pace with another impressive run this season, this time at the Tyson Invitational. The women's team came into the match ranked #26 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women's National Poll and now are looking to climb that rank even higher thanks to a first-place team finish at the Tyson Invitational. With a score of 43, the Wildcats just beat Gonzaga University at their home event, as the Bulldogs had a score of 45 and outran #16-ranked Washington State University. The men's squad was back in action as well and scored 99 points, putting them in third place. They were the highest-finishing GNAC team at the event.
RACE RECAP:
Maddy Harrison blew away the competition, finishing in first place with a time of 21:02.3, 21 seconds ahead of Washington State University's Jaylyn Lehner, with a time of 21:23.4. After Lehner, the next Wildcat to cross the finish line was
Payton Conover. The junior ran 21:26.9, earning third place. Just missing out on the top five was
Dawn Hulstedt in sixth with a time of 21:34.0.
Lillian Neff was the next Wildcat to finish as she crossed 17
th with a time of 22:16.3 and was quickly followed by
Hannah Pidduck in 18
th, running a 22:16.7. Teagen Pentz was the last Wildcat in the top 30, as she finished with a time of 22:57.4.
Katie Manly and
Julie Johnson just missed out on the top 30 finishing 31
st and 32
nd, respectively. Rounding it out for the 'Cats were
Grace Grossman in 36
th and
Audrey Lucas in 39
th. The Wildcats scored 43, narrowly outrunning Gonzaga with their 43 points. The 'Cats also look to rise farther up the USTFCCCA Women's National Poll as they beat out #16-ranked Washington State University.
The men's squad was back in action for the first time in nearly a month, as the last time we saw them, they finished eighth at the Bill Roe Classic. Leading the charge for the 'Cats was once again
Weston Breen with his run of 25:15.3 in 20
th, just ahead of his Wildcat teammate Charlie Knaught in 23
rd with a 25:22.9.
Colin Wear ran a time of 25:25.4, good for 26
th, followed up by Christian Rosca in 33
rd with a time of 26:21.0. The final two Wildcats were Samuel Wagner in 39
th with a time of 26:47.2 and
Sylas Allen in 53
rd with his run of 27:16.1. As a team the Wildcats placed in third with 99 points, finishing behind Eastern Oregon with 61 and Gonzaga with 15.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats now await the GNAC Championship in two weeks. The championship event will be held this year in Monmouth, Ore, at the home of the Western Oregon Wolves to crown a GNAC Cross Country champion.
