LACEY, Wash. - The Western Washington University cross country team raced a small squad at the Ken Garland Classic held Saturday on the campus of Saint Martin's University.

A day after WWU raced 14 athletes (7 men, 7 women) at the Roy Griak Invitational in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Vikings had seven competitors race in Lacey.

Freshmen Ethan Bursch (19th, 26:58) and Drew Weber (20th, 27:03) led the men's squad with top-20 finishes in the 8K.

WWU had only two student-athletes race in the women's 6K, with Delphine Maurer placing 15th (24:28) and Sophia Collins 18th (24:51).
  The Vikings will host the 47th Annual WWU Classic, renamed the WWU Bill Roe Classic, on Saturday, October 9, 2021 at Sudden Valley Golf Course in Bellingham. Annually one of the best competitions in the Northwest, WWU will be hosting the event at Sudden Valley for the third time in recent years, after competing at Lake Padden for a number of years. The men's 10K is scheduled to start at 10 am and the women's 6K will follow at 11 am.
 
The meet is named in honor of Bill Roe, a fixture in the Western Washington University track & field and cross country program for 35 years, from 1985-2020, as well as being nationally and internationally known for his involvement in the administration of those sports. Roe passed away in February 2020. He was a long-time USA Track & Field official and leader. He served as President of the USATF for two terms from 2000 to 2008. The founder in 1972 of Seattle's Club Northwest and in 1973 of the Pacific Northwest Association of USATF, Roe's resume includes work in nearly all capacities of the sport: as a coach, meet director, clinician, official, administrator, and executive. He also was founder of Northwest Runner magazine.