THIS WEEK IN THE WAC
Friday, August 30
Texas-Pan American at RGV Relays, Edinburg, Texas
New Mexico State at Texas Tech Invitational, Ruidoso, N.M.
Seattle U at UW/SU Open, Seattle, Wash.
Saturday, August 31
Utah Valley at Aggie Invite, Logan, Utah
Kansas City at Bob Timmons Classic/Rim Rock, Lawrence, Kan.
Idaho at Northwest Classic, Spokane, Wash.
Chicago State at UIC Opener, Palos Hills, Ill.
Bakersfield at Mark Covert Classic, Brea, Calif.
WAC SEASON OPENS THIS WEEKEND
The 2013 WAC Cross Country season kicks off this weekend with eight teams in action, including five schools competing for the first time as WAC members. Texas-Pan American, Seattle U and New Mexico State begin on Friday, while Bakersfield, Chicago State, Kansas City, Idaho and Utah Valley get under way on Saturday.
Four WAC Schools regionally Ranked
Four Western Athletic Conference squads earned preseason recognition after being ranked in the top 15 of their respective regional rankings by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Utah Valley and New Mexico State appear in the men’s Mountain Region rankings, placing seventh and 15th, respectively.
On the women’s side, Utah Valley begins the 2013 season as the 10th ranked team in the Mountain Region. Texas-Pan American came in 15th in the South Central Region.
Team Notes
Bakersfield Roadrunners
The Roadrunner women kick off the 2013 season on Saturday at the Mark Covert Classic in Brea, Calif. ... Bakersfield returns five runners from last season (Jorey Braughton, Monica Guzman, Katelynn Webb, Jenna Bunag, and Kaylee Moyer) ... redshirt junior Megan Thompson also returns after sitting out last year with an injury ... Braughton and Webb will co-captain the 2013 squad ... standout incoming freshman LaShya Morgan, Tori Blackmon and Ariana Mariscal are expected to make an impact on the team ... incoming freshman Nicolette Aldape still waiting to be cleared with the NCAA.
Chicago State Cougars
Sophomore Jusilya Scott is the only returning member of either the men or women teams to return from last season ... Prisca Roys-Dossou and Melissa Collins each ran together at Colby Community College last season ... Melissa Collins ran at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Poland ... the Cougars have four meets scheduled in the state of Illinois ... Chicago State’s six men’s cross country runners come from six different states.
Grand Canyon ‘Lopes
Grand Canyon won’t open the season until Sept. 9 at the George Kyte Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz ... both GCU squads finished third at last year’s Pacific West Championship, marking a new top-finish for the men’s squad and matching the women’s best, which they also did in 2011 ... the top returner for the ‘Lopes on the women’s side is sophomore Kelsi Klotter, who finished 11th at the conference championships en route to garnering Second Team All-PacWest ... the men return Brandon Kocmoud, who was a Third Team All-PacWest selection last year following a 16th-place finish at the conference championships ... GCU is under the guidance of first-year head coach Michael Hoffmann, who takes over after having served as an assistant coach in 2012.
Idaho Vandals
The Vandals will open the 2013 season on Friday at the Northwest Classic in Spokane, Wash. ... the women’s team will be vying for their fourth WAC Cross Country Championship in a row and sixth overall … senior Hannah Kiser swept the WAC Athlete of the Year honors in cross country, indoor and outdoor track, becoming only the second woman to record the feat … Kiser finished 54th at the 2013 NCAA West Region, the women finished 20th and the men finished 24th … the Vandal men will be looking for their first WAC Cross Country title … former cross country standout Barry Britt leaves a void in the 2013 roster, looking to be filled by the remaining roster.
Kansas City Kangaroos
The ‘Roos will open the season at the Bob Timmons Classic, which is hosted by Kansas ... the men’s squad will be led by the school record holder in the mile, junior Taylor Wardall ... the men’s squad has six returners from last fall and has added five newcomers ... other athletes to watch are freshmen Bryce Miller and Nathan Keown ... the women’s squad will be led by NCAA 1st team All-American steeplechaser, sophomore Courtney Frerichs ... the team has five returners from last fall and eight newcomers ... other athletes to watch are freshmen Kelly Carpenter, Sarah Fogarty and Katie Tuck.
New Mexico State Aggies
Kevin Palmer returns for his senior season after finishing first for New Mexico State in the 2012 WAC Championships ... the men’s cross country team enters the season ranked 15th in the Mountain Region by the USTFCCCA ... the women’s cross country team returns 12 athletes, including eight seniors ... NMSU added three recruits from Everett Community College, (Hab Rubio, Nate Starr and Katie Strong) ... seniors Sarabel Bojorquez and Rylie Hightower, who finished third and sixth for the Aggies, respectively, in the 2012 WAC Championships ... junior Diana Hawk had a great outdoor track season and looks to carry that into the cross country season ... the women’s team added Megan McNally, who was a standout athlete at Moorpark College, where she owns the school record for the 5,000-meter run.
Seattle University Redhawks
The Seattle University cross country team begins the 2013 season on Friday with the UW/SU Open at Magnuson Park in Seattle, one of four meets the Redhawks will compete in that takes place in Seattle ... on the men’s side, nine runners return from the 2012 roster and are joined by five newcomers, four freshmen and a junior college transfer ... for the women, Hannah Mittelstaedt, a second team All-WAC performer in cross country last year and conference champion in the 3000 meter steeplechase during outdoor, is back for her senior year ... she is looking to continue her streak of being the top Redhawk finisher in every meet she has competed in over the past two cross country seasons ...the women have 14 returners and three newcomers (two freshmen and one transfer with one year of eligibility remaining).
Texas-Pan American Broncs
The Broncs kick off the season on Saturday at home with the Rio Grande Valley Relays ... Martin Casse returns for his third season after finishing his undergraduate degree and is now working towards his masters ... Casse finished eighth in the 2012 Great West Conference Championships to earn All-Conference second team honors ... Luis Serrano returns after sitting out 2012 ... in 2011, Serrano recorded three top-10 finishes including a sixth in the Great West Conference ... the women’s team returns three seniors, including Robin Galloso, who finished 87th place at the NCAA South Central Regionals ... both men’s and women’s cross country teams finished in second at the Ricardo Romo Classic in 2012 as both teams had four top-20 finishers ... the women’s cross country team is ranked 15th in the South Central Region.
Utah Valley Wolverines
The UVU women’s cross country team won all five championships during its time in the Great West Conference and the men’s team won four of the five ... the women’s team was led in 2012 by then-freshman Darian Sharp, who had the top finish on the team in five of seven races ... the men’s team was led in 2012 by Cliff Nielson, who had the top finish on the team in five of seven races ... Nielson will redshirt the 2013 season, along with another senior-to-be Macy Butterfield ... in addition to Sharp, the women’s team will be led by returning seniors Brooke Hodson-Davies and Jessica Wilding ... Head coach Scott Houle was named the Great West Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year nine times in five seasons as his teams won nine of 10 championships.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2013 WAC Cross Country Championship travels to Seattle, Wash. This year’s championships will be hosted by Seattle University and will take place at the Jefferson Park Golf Course. The Idaho women will look to win a fourth-consecutive WAC title. UT Arlington claimed the men’s title last season.
November 2, 2013
Seattle, Wash.
Host: Seattle U
Course: Jefferson Park Golf Course
Admission: Free
NCAA REGIONALS
The 2013 Cross Country Regionals will be held at nine sites throughout the country on Friday, Nov. 15. WAC teams will be represented in four locations. The West Region will be held in Sacramento, Calif., (Sacramento State). The Mountain Region will be held in Ogden Utah, (Weber State), the South Central Regional (Baylor University) will take place in Waco, Texas, and the Midwest Region (Iowa State) will take place in Ames, Iowa.
November 15, 2013
Great Lakes - University of Wisconsin
Mid-Atlantic - Lehigh University
Midwest - Iowa State University
Mountain - Weber State University
Northeast - Manhattan College
South Central - Baylor University
South - University of Alabama
Southeast - University of Virginia
West - Sacramento State University
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2013 Cross Country National Championships will take place in Terre Haute, Ind.. The race will take place at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center.
November 23, 2013
Wabash Valley Family Sports Center
599 S. Tabortown Rd.
Terre Haute IN 47803 USA
Phone: 812-877-1388