With Seattle University completing the reclassification process for Division I membership, the cross country program is able to compete at the NCAA Division I West Regional for the first time in program history, and the squad will not have to travel far to participate in the 2012 edition.
The NCAA Division I Cross Country West Regional is being hosted by the University of Washington at Jefferson Park Golf Course, less than a three-mile drive from the Seattle U campus. The event will take place this Friday, Nov. 9, with the women's six-kilometer race beginning at 12 noon, followed by the men's 10-kilometer race at 1:15 p.m.
Erik Barkhaus (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) is in contention to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Ky., depending on his performance at the regional meet. The Western Athletic Conference individual champion will be competing against some of the best runners in the country, and many experts believe that the West Regional is the toughest of the nine regionals being held around the country Friday.
Matthew McClement (Bellingham, Wash.) earned First Team All-WAC honors after finishing fourth at the conference championships two weeks ago, and he is looking to cap his collegiate cross country career on a solid note. Collin Overbay (Spokane, Wash.) and Ryan Dennison (Pacifica, Calif.) finished in the top 20 at the WAC Championships and will be important to the team's chances for a good finish.
Graham Kinzel-Grubbs (Portland, Ore.), Jeff Baklund (Auburn, Wash.), and Baxter Arguinchona (Spokane, Wash.) round out the Redhawk squad that will compete in Friday's meet. After finishing third at the WAC Championships, the men are looking to prove that they can compete with schools from the Pac-12, the West Coast Conference, and the Big West Conference, among others.
The women's team will gain valuable experience at the regional meet after finishing sixth at the WAC Championships two weeks ago. Junior Hannah Mittelstaedt (Maple Valley, Wash.) has been the top Redhawk finisher in every meet she has competed in over the past two years, and she is striving for a personal best time Friday. Jennifer Stolle (Seattle, Wash.) is coming off a top-20 finish at the conference meet and should be ready to compete once again in front of a friendly crowd.
Sophomores Sophie Curatilo (Honolulu, Hawaii), Madison Davis (Camano Island, Wash.), and Amy Tolentino (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) will be joined by freshmen Becca Lassere (Boise, Idaho) and Elena Smith (Seattle, Wash.) as they hope to end this season with positive momentum in order to continue the growth and improvement of the women's cross country program.
Admission to Friday's races is free for all spectators. The start and finish line will be located right alongside Beacon Avenue, just a minute to the east of I-5. Spectator parking is located in front of the clubhouse across Beacon Avenue from the course.