It was a successful day for the Seattle University cross country program, as both the men’s and women’s teams won the Viking Cross Country Classic Saturday, hosted by Portland State University at Blue Lake Park.
In addition, senior Sophie Curatilo (Honolulu, Hawaii) finished first in the women’s three-mile race with a time of 16:48.40, almost seven full seconds ahead of her nearest competitor. She led the Redhawk women to a 10-point victory over Portland State in the team standings.
"Sophie was focused and strong today. We talked ahead of time about her going for the win, and it was great to see her be aggressive and make it happen," Seattle U head coach Trisha Steidl said.
Taylor de Laveaga (Gilbert, Ariz.) finished in sixth place with a time of 17:07.75, followed by Lila Rice (Redmond, Wash.) in 10th place in 17:27.64. Elena Smith (Seattle, Wash.) was the next runner to cross the finish line, earning 11th place with a time of 17:34.50, with Madison Davis (Camano Island, Wash.) close behind in 16th place with a mark of 17:45.07.
Moira O’Connor Lenth (Seattle, Wash.) crossed the finish line in 21st place with a time of 18:00.12, ahead of Emily Hedberg (Phoenix, Ariz.) in 24th place in 18:15.31. Rebecca Lassere (Boise, Idaho) finished in 27th place in 18:36.39, followed by Johanna Erickson (Edgewood, Wash.) in 31st place with a time of 18:51.84. Meghan Arigo (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) finished in 34th place in 19:16.54, and Haley Kruell (Portland, Ore.) finished in 36th place in 19:31.60.
In the men’s eight-kilometer event, Gus Arroyo (Portland, Ore.) finished in fourth place overall with a time of 25:07.98, the best eight-kilometer time of his career. Baxter Arguinchona (Spokane, Wash.) earned an 11th place finish with a time of 25:43.72, with freshman Chay Weaver (Louisville, Colo.) finishing in 15th place in 25:52.03.
Three consecutive Redhawks crossed the finish line, starting with Joe Charbonneau (Bellingham, Wash.) in 17th place in 26:05.41, just ahead of Matthew Seidel (Santa Clara, Calif.) in 18th place in 26:06.24 and Collin Overbay (Spokane, Wash.) in 19th place in 26:11.65. Joseph Nakao (Sammamish, Wash.) finished in 30th place with a time of 26:47.24, followed by Miles Hille (Woodinville, Wash.) in 39th place in 28:09.89.
"The team was focused, intense, and aggressive today. This was exactly the kind of performance I wanted to see from them today, and they did not disappoint," continued Steidl. "If we continue to build upon the mentality we brought today, the end of the season is going to be great."
In the team standings, the finishes of the top six runners made a significant difference in Seattle U earning the team title by five points over host Portland State. Running unattached, Tyler Flannery finished in 14th place with a time of 25:51.76.
The Seattle University cross country team will next host the Emerald City Open Saturday, Oct. 18, at Lower Woodland Park, with the women’s six-kilometer race starting at 10:30 a.m., followed by the men’s eight-kilometer event at 11:15 a.m. and the alumni/family two-kilometer fun run at 12 noon. Besides being the only home meet of the season for the Redhawks, this will also serve as the team’s Pink Meet, raising awareness for breast cancer prevention, research, and treatment.