By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 11 nationally-ranked Western Washington University cross country teams are back in action this weekend with a pair of meets on Saturday.
The biggest meet of the weekend sends 19 runners across the country to the Lewis Crossover in Romeoville, Illinois, where the Vikings will match up against several nationally-ranked programs. In a key meet for potential advancement to nationals, WWU will send its top runners to this event. In addition to top national competition, the Lewis Invitational also features seven GNAC programs.
The No. 11 women's team will race head-to-head against nine other top-30 programs, while the No. 11 men's team will go up against 13 nationally-ranked programs. The Viking women hold the top spot in the West Regional ranking and the Western men are No. 2.
The remainder of WWU's roster is scheduled to race at the Emerald City Classic on Saturday at Lower Woodland Park in Seattle.
Results for both meets will be updated online at the conclusion of competition at WWUVikings.com/XC.
Here is a look at the Vikings lineup at the Lewis Crossover, with nine men and 10 women scheduled to race for the Vikings. The meet schedule features the men's 8,000m race starting at 7:45 am PT/9:45 am CT and the women's 6,000m race at 8:30 am PT/10:30 am CT.
WWU Men at Lewis Crossover:
WWU Women at Lewis Crossover:
The remainder of the team will compete in the Emerald City Open on Saturday at Lower Woodland Park in Seattle. The men's 8K will open racing at 10:30 am followed by the women's 6K at 11:15 am.
The Vikings were last in action September 28 hosting the Bill Roe Classic at Hovander Homestead Park in Ferndale. The Viking women placed 1st out of eight collegiate teams edging West Region rival Chico State by three points (53-56). Junior Ashley Reeck earned a top-10 finish at No. 10, followed closely by a pack of Vikings in 11th (Ila Davis) and 12th place (Mia Crocker). The Viking men placed 2nd behind Chico State with Kevin McDermott finishing 3rd overall and 2nd among collegiate runners.
REGIONAL & NATIONAL RANKINGS
Both the WWU men's and women's cross country programs hold regional and national rankings in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) polls:
- WWU Women: No. 1 in West Region, No. 11 in NCAA II
- WWU Men: No. 2 in West Region, No. 11 in NCAA II
WWU is off next weekend as they prepare for the postseason with the 2024 GNAC Cross Country Championships held October 26 at Sudden Valley Golf Course. WWU is the two-time defending champions in the event on both the men's and women's side. Racing begins at the GNAC Championships at 10 am with the men's 8K, followed by the women's 6K at 11 am. More information is available at GNACSports.com.
The Vikings have swept the last two GNAC Cross Country Championships, with both the men and women's teams taking the top podium spot in 2022 (Monmouth, OR) and 2023 (Anchorage, AK). WWU hosts this year's edition of the GNAC Championships October 26 at Sudden Valley Golf Course. Dating back to 2019, Western has swept three of the last four GNAC titles in cross country (2019, 2022, 2023).
The WWU women's team not only won its second consecutive team title at the GNAC Championships last season, but also claimed the team title at the NCAA II West Regional Championships in Monmouth, Oregon. The regional title was the first in NCAA program history and ninth by a GNAC program. The Western women went on to place 14th at nationals for the seventh top-15 finish during the NCAA era.
2024 WWU CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE
The 2024 WWU cross country schedule features four regular-season meets, followed by the GNAC Championships, NCAA II West Regional and the NCAA II Championships. Start times for all meets will be posted online at WWUVikings.com/XC when they are finalized.
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Date
|
Meet
|
Location
|
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Sept. 14 (Sat.)
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Green River Gator Invitational
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Lakewood, WA (Fort Steilacoom Park)
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Sept. 28. (Sat.)
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Bill Roe Classic
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Ferndale, WA (Hovander Park)
|
|
Oct. 12 (Sat.)
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Emerald City Open
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Seattle, WA (Lower Woodland Park)
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Oct. 12 (Sat.)
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Lewis Crossover
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Romeville, IL (Lewis XC Course)
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Oct. 26 (Sat.)
|
GNAC Championships
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Bellingham, WA (Sudden Valley Golf Course)
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Nov. 9 (Sat.)
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NCAA II West Regional Championships
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Billings, MT (Amend Park)
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Nov. 23 (Sat.)
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NCAA II National Championships
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Sacramento, CA (Arcade Creek XC Course)
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2024 GNAC XC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Here is a look at the 2024 GNAC Cross Country Preseason Polls with both the WWU women's and men's programs predicted to defend the conference title:
|
Rk
|
Women (First Place Votes)
|
Points
|
2023 GNAC Finish
|
|
1.
|
Western Washington (9)
|
99
|
1st (49)
|
|
2.
|
Alaska Fairbanks (1)
|
81
|
3rd (86)
|
|
3.
|
Simon Fraser
|
78
|
4th (103)
|
|
4.
|
Saint Martin's
|
67
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2nd (71)
|
|
5.
|
Alaska Anchorage
|
65
|
5th (137)
|
|
6.
|
Western Oregon
|
56
|
6th (141)
|
|
7.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
42
|
7th (153)
|
|
8.
|
Northwest Nazarene
|
29
|
8th (184)
|
|
9.
|
Central Washington
|
23
|
9th (272)
|
|
10.
|
Montana State Billings
|
11
|
10th (273)
|
|
Rk
|
Men (First Place Votes)
|
Points
|
2023 GNAC Finish
|
|
1.
|
Western Washington (10)
|
100
|
1st (37)
|
|
2.
|
Simon Fraser
|
83
|
3rd (80)
|
|
3.
|
Alaska Anchorage
|
79
|
2nd (51)
|
|
4.
|
Western Oregon
|
77
|
4th (142)
|
|
5.
|
Northwest Nazarene
|
59
|
5th (145)
|
|
6.
|
Central Washington
|
51
|
6th (161)
|
|
7.
|
Saint Martin's
|
39
|
7th (187)
|
|
8.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
31
|
8th (217)
|
|
9.
|
Alaska Fairbanks
|
17
|
9th (220)
|
|
10.
|
Montana State Billings
|
14
|
10th (259)
|
|
Points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis
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Fans can follow WWU Cross Country online at WWUVikings.com/XC, and via social media on Twitter (@WWUTFXC), Instagram (@WWUTFXC) and Facebook (@WWUTFXC).
