SEATTLE, Wash. – The Western Washington University cross country program wrapped up a successful Saturday of racing to close out the regular-season schedule at the Emerald City Open.

 

A large contingent of Vikings raced around Lower Woodland Park in Seattle, while the team's top qualifiers were busy gaining more national recognition with top-six finishes at the Lewis Crossover in Illinois.

 

At the Emerald City Open, senior Dylan Lennon was the top collegiate finisher in the men's 8K crossing the finish line in 26:04.9, good for 7th-place overall behind runners from the Bellingham Distance Project and meet host Club Northwest. Former Viking All-American Mac Franks placed 2nd in 25:31.6 and recent volunteer assistant coach Matt Welch took home the title in a speedy time of 25:09.0. Redshirt freshman George Fernandez was the No. 2 collegiate finisher in 26:08.4 (8th overall) and redshirt freshman Spencer Zeljak displayed the Vikings depth placing 12th overall (5th among collegiate runners) in 26:39.4.

 

In the women's 6K, junior Laura Halsell placed 3rd overall and 2nd among collegiate runners with a time of 23:08.2, followed closely by sophomore teammate Jill Philbin in 5th place with a time of 23:20.8. Junior Emmy Kroontje, an 800m specialist on the track, earned a top-10 finish in 9th place with a time of 23:41.2.

 

WWU also competed Saturday at the Emerald City Open at Lower Woodland Park in Seattle, with results and a full recap posted on WWUVikings.comSaturday afternoon.

 

WWU also had its top lineup compete Saturday at the Lewis Crossover in Romeoville, Illinois, with the No. 11 Viking men placing 2nd out of 36 teams and the No. 11 WWU women finishing 6th out of 36 teams. Details information, individual results and team scoring from the Lewis Crossover is available at WWUVikings.com/XC.

 

Here is a look at the men's results from the 8K for the Viking men at the Emerald City Open. Results were still being corrected as of Sunday afternoon.

 

 

Here is a look at the women's results from the 6K ace for the Viking women at the Emerald City Open:

 

 

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, No. 12 in FloTrack
• WWU Men: No. 2 in West Region, No. 11 in NCAA II, No. 18 in FloTrack

 

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 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. 

 

 

Fans can follow WWU Cross Country online at WWUVikings.com/XC, and via social media on Twitter (@WWUTFXC), Instagram (@WWUTFXC) and Facebook (@WWUTFXC).