The Seattle University men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in their first 2013 competition featuring a significant field as they participated in the Sundodger Invitational Saturday morning, hosted by the University of Washington at Lincoln Park.
“This meet is about re-learning how to race the full cross country distances,” Seattle U head coach Trisha Steidl said. “It gives us a good picture of where we're starting versus where we need to be by the end of the season.”
Hannah Mittelstaedt (Maple Valley, Wash.) led the Redhawk women, finishing in 15th place in 21:42, almost a full minute faster over the six-kilometer course than the last time she competed in this event two years ago. Lauren Hammerle (Seattle, Wash.) worked her way up to 19th place at the finish line with a time of 21:50, while Sophie Curatilo (Honolulu, Hawaii) held onto 23rd place at the end with a mark of 21:56.
Madison Davis (Camano Island, Wash.) crossed the finish line in 31st place with a time of 22:06, followed by Taylor de Laveaga (Gilbert, Ariz.) in 47th place in 22:37, Elena Smith (Seattle, Wash.) in 49th place with a mark of 22:40, and Lila Rice (Redmond, Wash.) in 51st place with a time of 22:44. Rebecca Lassere (Boise, Idaho) ended up in 55th place with a time of 22:50, just ahead of Jennifer Stolle (Seattle, Wash.) in 57th place in 22:51.
Moira O’Connor Lenth (Seattle, Wash.) posted a time of 23:28 to finish in 66th place, with Meghan Arigo (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) right behind her in 67th place in 23:36. Emily Hedberg (Phoenix, Ariz.) crossed the finish line with a time of 23:47, followed by Amy Clawson (Mahomet, Ill.) in 23:55, Amy Tolentino (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) in 24:24, Haley Kruell (Portland, Ore.) in 25:10, and Lindsay Frederick (Seattle, Wash.) in 25:22.
As a team, the Seattle University women finished in fifth place with 120 points, ahead of Washington State and Eastern Washington and only 10 points behind Gonzaga. Five Washington runners finished in the top ten as the Huskies easily won the team title, led by Katie Flood’s individual victory with a time of 20:25.
“The ladies overall had a strong meet. It was a good experience in helping each person to learn how to approach races the best way possible as the season goes on,” said Steidl.
Nathan McLaughlin (Puyallup, Wash.) was the top runner representing Seattle U to finish, crossing the finish line in 49th place with a time of 25:21.26, cutting 54 seconds off his time from this event last season. Gus Arroyo (Portland, Ore.) cut a full minute off his time from last year, finishing in 57th place with a mark of 25:45.32.
Graham Kinzel-Grubbs (Portland, Ore.) finished in 60th place with a time of 25:49.43, followed by Caleb Herrera (Tucson, Ariz.) in 64th place in 25:57.42 and Jeff Baklund (Auburn, Wash.) in 68th place with a time of 26:01.64. Tyler Flannery (Auburn, Wash.) posted a time of 26:16.67, followed by Miles Hille (Woodinville, Wash.) in 26:58.48 and Conner Hayes (Mill Creek, Wash.) in 28:09.34.
The Seattle University men finished in fifth place in the team standings with 148 points. Running unattached, Collin Overbay (Spokane, Wash.) finished in 41st place in 25:07.68, Joe Charbonneau (Bellingham, Wash.) posted a time of 26:06.73, and Louis Rodrigues (Alameda, Calif.) crossed the finish line with a mark of 26:48.49. Washington completed the sweep, winning the team competition with 30 points and the individual race thanks to Aaron Nelson with a time of 23:50.55.
“The guys started out stronger as a whole than they realize. This is a building year, but the guys are motivated and strong. If they keep building off this start, they're going to have a solid season,” Steidl said.
The Seattle University cross country team will next compete at the Bill Dellinger Invitational Saturday, Oct. 5, hosted by the University of Oregon at the Springfield Country Club in Springfield, Ore. The men’s eight-kilometer race will take place at 10:30 a.m., followed by the women’s five-kilometer race at 11:15 a.m.