The Seattle University cross country team gathered in the Father LeRoux Conference Room within the Student Center on campus last Tuesday, Dec. 3, to celebrate the 2013 season.
Liane (Swegle) Johnson was invited by Seattle U head cross country coach Trisha Steidl to be the special guest speaker for the event. Johnson talked about her experiences competing for Seattle University in the mid-1970s as well as the growth she has seen in the cross country program, as she was present at Jefferson Park Golf Course for the WAC Cross Country Championships. Johnson, the 1973-74 Seattle U Athlete of the Year, was presented with a plaque signifying that achievement, as she did not receive any type of memento 40 years ago.
Lauren Hammerle (Seattle, Wash.) and Nathan McLaughlin (Puyallup, Wash.) were double-award winners, as both were selected as Most Valuable Athlete by the coaching staff and voted Most Inspirational by their teammates. McLaughlin shared the Most Inspirational Award with Peter VanNuland (Newcastle, Wash.).
VanNuland and Ryan Dennison (Pacifica, Calif.) were recognized for their contributions to the Seattle U distance running program as seniors completing their collegiate running careers. Dennison, competing this past fall as a fifth-year student-athlete, has exhausted his eligibility in both cross country and track and field, while VanNuland has decided to end his tenure within the track and field program due to injury.
The Seattle University cross country program is coming off a second-place finish for the women and a fourth-place result for the men in the 2013 WAC Championships. For both squads, five of the seven competitors at the conference and regional meets are eligible to return for the 2014 campaign, providing a bright outlook as the Redhawk program continues to grow.