Members of the Seattle University cross country team who are not competing at the NCAA West Regional meet next Friday were able to run one last event in 2012, as they participated in the USATF Pacific Northwest Cross Country Championships Sunday morning at Lower Woodland Park.
In the women's six-kilometer race, Kimberly Pugliese (Mililani, Hawaii) was the top Redhawk finisher, crossing the finish line in 15th place with a time of 25:14, 10 seconds faster than the time she posted over the same distance at the Emerald City Open Oct. 13.
Taylor de Laveaga (Gilbert, Ariz.) finished in 19th place with a time of 26:17. Mary Thompson (Simi Valley, Calif.) crossed the finish line in 22nd place with a time of 27:34, followed by Meghan Manwill (Eugene, Ore.) in 24th place in 28:04 and Haley Kruell (Portland, Ore.) in 25th place in 25th place in 28:22.
The Seattle U men encountered a 10-kilometer event for the first time this season, with David Strand (Seattle, Wash.) coming in as the first Redhawk finisher with a time of 35:48, good enough for 22nd place overall. Chris Davis (Centennial, Colo.) crossed the finish line in 27th place in 36:09, just ahead of teammate Kevin Kopetz (Derry, N.H.) in 28th place with the same official time.
Nathan McLaughlin (Puyallup, Wash.) was next for the Redhawks, finishing in 32nd place with a time of 36:34, with fellow freshman Gus Arroyo (Portland, Ore.) earning a 37th-place finish with a time of 37:01. Miles Hille (Woodinville, Wash.) posted a time of 37:27 to finish in 41st place, and Colton Misono (Newcastle, Calif.) finished in 43rd place with a time of 38:10.
"The weather conditions were great today, and we had a few performances that really stuck out. The course was a bit slower than our home course due to how it was set up, plus a couple of muddy areas. It was the final race for the season and, for the men, it was also their first experience running 10K cross country. They did a good job tackling this new distance and learning to run more evenly. This is the longest our season has gone. It was a valuable experience for everyone that we'll take with us as we move forward to make us stronger and more prepared for the future," Seattle U head cross country coach Trisha Steidl said.
The top seven Seattle U finishers from the Western Athletic Conference Championships will compete at the NCAA West Regional, hosted by the University of Washington at the Jefferson Park Golf Course this Friday, Nov. 9. The women's six-kilometer race will begin at 12 noon, and the men's 10-kilometer event is scheduled to commence at 1:15 p.m.