Color Scheme

Subscribe now
Gonzaga University Athletics

Washington State, Gonzaga sending runners to NCAA cross country nationals

The Washington State women's cross country team, along with the men's team, has earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships. (Courtesy of WSU Athletics)
From staff reports

Both the men’s and women’s Washington State teams qualified with at-large bids to the NCAA Cross Country National Championships, the NCAA announced Saturday, while Gonzaga women’s runners Logan Hofstee and Jessica Frydenlund received individual at-large bids to nationals.

For WSU, it’s the first time the women’s team has reached the national championships since 1985, and the men’s team is making its first appearance at nationals since 2016.

WSU’s Solomon Kipchoge and Evans Kurui were the top two men’s finishers in the 10,000-meter race Friday at NCAA West Regionals, respectively. Both competed at nationals last year.

WSU’s Rosemary Longisa won the 6,000-meter women’s regionals race with a time of 19:08.3, a tenth of a second under the course record.

Hofstee, an East Valley grad, ran a career-best 19:36.7 in the 6,000 Friday at regionals to finish seventh overall in the race. Frydenlund also secured a bid in the 6,000 with a 20:02.1 time, placing 13th at regionals.

The national event will begin Saturday morning at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri.

Two from Whitworth secure spots at nationals

London Haley finished 10th in the 8,000-meter race to pace the Whitworth men and Lily Jones, a Freeman High grad, took 13th in the women’s 6,000-meter race at Claremont, California, during the West Region meet.

Haley’s time of 25:32.7 and Jones’ mark of 22:31.5 are good enough to assure the pair of a trip to the NCAA Division III championships, which will be held Saturday in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Three other All-Region Whitworth runners — Isaac Akiyama, Ashlyn Dary and Kezlie Thygesen — will have to wait and see if they receive at-large bids to nationals, which will be announced Sunday. Akiyama finished 26th in 26:09.0 on the men’s side. Dary (22:52.9) and Thygesen (22:54.9) came in at 25th and 27th, respectively.

Both Whitworth teams finished seventh. Host Pomona-Pitzer took first as a team for the men. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won for the women.

Colorado College’s Will Shuflit won the men’s race in 24:50.0. Colorado’s Alison Mueller-Hickler claimed the women’s title with a time of 21:28.0.