Oct. 30, 2006

CROSS COUNTRY: NWC Meet Brings PLU Season to a Close

NWC MEET SUMMARY: The Northwest Conference Cross Country Championship took place Saturday at University Golf Course on the PLU campus. Willamette extended its dominance with a sweep of both team and individual titles. This is the sixth straight conference title for the Bearcat men while the women have won five in a row. On the men’s side, Ian Batch of Willamette won the individual title in a course record time of 24:30.7 on the 8000-meter course. Linfield’s Harrison Wilson was second in a time of 24:45.9 with Kellen Peters of Pacific taking third in 24:54.9. University of Puget Sound was second with 58 points and Linfield finished with 95 points to round out the top three. The women’s competition was much closer with Willamette edging out Puget Sound, 50-54. Willamette’s Sarah Zerzan broke not only the course record but also the conference meet record with her winning time of 20:32.7 for the 6000-meter course. Puget Sound’s Emily Timmer was second in a time of 21:25.8, followed by Tamma Carleton of Lewis & Clark College in 21:35.3. Lewis & Clark finished third as a team with 115 points.

PLU WOMEN’S SUMMARY: The Lutes finished the race in eighth place, edging out Pacific by three points, 222-225. Freshman Katie Choate was the Lutes’ first finisher in 27th place, clocking 22:53.6. Sophomore Lauren McDonald was next, placing 42nd in a time of 23:28.2. Sophomores Michele Hegg and Lexie Miller finished 58th and 61st, respectively, in times of 24:20.5 and 24:28.9. Freshman Synneva Hagen-Lillevick really stepped it up, running a 79-second personal best to place fifth among the Lutes and 68th overall in a time of 25:14.6. There are no seniors on the women’s side so you can look for some of these same faces next season.

PLU MEN’S SUMMARY: Pacific Lutheran’s men finished last in the nine-team competition with 256 points. Junior Kenneth Chilcoat led the Lutes, finishing in 35th place with a time of 26:15.9, a 27-second personal best. Freshman John Pedack was second for the Lutes in 57th place in a time of 27:14.5, also a personal best. Pedack was followed by another freshman, Matthew Beal, who was 68th place in a time of 28:10.4. Sophomore Ben Hollander and freshman Anthony Horton rounded out the top five, finishing 73rd in 29:02.3 and 75th in 29:18.0, respectively. There wasn’t a single senior on the PLU team, so hopes are high for next season to improve this year’s finish.

SEASON ENDS: Pacific Lutheran’s season ended with the conference meet. Some of the other NWC schools, however, will compete Saturday, Nov. 11, at the NCAA West Regional in Chino, Calif., in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Division III national meet on November 18 in West Chester, Ohio.

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