Seattle University redshirt senior Erik Barkhaus (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) ran with the leaders throughout the 10-kilometer race and finished in 15th place overall, leading the Seattle U men's cross country team to a 16th-place finish at the NCAA Division I West Regional Friday afternoon at Jefferson Park Golf Course.
Meanwhile, Hannah Mittelstaedt (Maple Valley, Wash.) and Jennifer Stolle (Seattle, Wash.) finished in the top half of the field in the women's six-kilometer race, helping the Redhawk women to a 23rd-place finish.
Barkhaus ran with a pack of runners from the Pac-12 as well as the University of Portland, some of the top runners not only in the region, but in the country. He posted a time of 30:01, but he was caught at the end by Washington State's Todd Wakefield, affecting his chances of earning a spot in next week's NCAA Championship. The complete field is expected to be announced by 12 noon Eastern time Saturday.
"There is some hope that Barkhaus will receive one of the individual spots to nationals, but if he doesn't, it is heartbreaking for him to come so close, but fall short," Seattle U head cross country coach Trisha Steidl said. "The fact that we, especially Barkhaus himself, will be disappointed if he does not qualify for the championship meet shows how far he has come in his career here at Seattle U, and in the end I am proud of him for everything he has accomplished."
Matthew McClement (Bellingham, Wash.) closed out his collegiate cross country career with a 68th place finish with a time of 30:53. Graham Kinzel-Grubbs (Portland, Ore.) was the next Redhawk to cross the finish line in 118th place with a time of 31:55.
Ryan Dennison (Pacifica, Calif.) and Collin Overbay (Spokane, Wash.) ran with each other the entire way, with Dennison finishing in 126th place in 32:08, followed by Overbay one second later (32:09) in 127th place. Jeff Baklund (Auburn, Wash.) finished in 129th place with a time of 32:15, and Baxter Arguinchona (Spokane, Wash.) finished in 141st place in 32:30.
As a team, Seattle U finished in 16th place out of 26 teams with 451 points, ahead of schools such as Loyola Marymount, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, Long Beach State, and conference foe Idaho. Stanford won the team title, with Portland picking up the second automatic qualifying spot for the NCAA Championships. Arizona's Lawi Lalang won the individual title in a new course record time of 29:02.
For the women, Mittelstaedt finished in 76th place with a time of 21:20, a new personal best for six kilometers. Stolle also posted a six-kilometer personal best with a time of 21:30, good enough for 90th place. Sophie Curatilo (Honolulu, Hawaii) finished in 160th place with a time of 22:27, also a personal best at six kilometers.
Madison Davis (Camano Island, Wash.) finished in 169th place with a personal-best time of 22:38. Freshmen Becca Lassere (Boise, Idaho) and Elena Smith (Seattle, Wash.) also earned personal-best times, with Lassere finishing in 174th place in 22:47 and Smith in 185th place in 23:06. Amy Tolentino (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) completed the Redhawk sweep of personal bests, posting a time of 23:37 to finish in 197th place.
The Redhawk women compiled 655 points to finish in 23rd place in the team standings, ahead of San Diego, San Diego State, Portland State, Saint Mary's, and Cal State Fullerton. Oregon won the team title, with Stanford picking up the second automatic qualifying spot. The Ducks were led by individual winner Jordan Hasay, who also set a new course record with a time of 19:16.
"Overall I am happy with today's results. I know everyone pushed themselves harder than they ever had before. Participating in this meet will give the runners some confidence heading into not only the upcoming track season, but for those returning next year, the 2013 cross country season," said Steidl.
After some rest, the cross country team will move on to the indoor track and field season as distance runners, starting with the UW Indoor Preview at Dempsey Indoor Saturday, Jan. 12. The WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held Feb. 21-23 in Albuquerque, N.M.