Lakewood, WA. --- Pacific University cross country teams competed today in the Northwest Conference Cross Country Championships hosted by University of Puget Sound at Fort Steilacoom Park. Both teams had their best performances of the year. The men took 8th place with 220 points and the women were the NWC runner-up team with 81 points. Both Hannah Berdahl and Kara Putman earned First-Team All-Conference honors.
The men's team was led by Riley Stewart, who posted an 18th place finish (26:37.3). Stewart was followed by Oliver Joss' 40th place finish and big PR of 27:35.3. Garet Neal followed in 60th place with a new PR of 28:32.3, and Garrett Stewart finished just behind him to place 67th in 29:34.2. Brian Tinoco and Jake Maze both finished with PRs in 70th and 72nd place, respectively.
The women executed their best race of the season to claim 2nd place with 81 points. That is the best NWC finish in school history for the Pacific women's cross country team. The women's race was extremely close, with only five points separating the 3rd through 6th place teams (Lewis and Clark - 108, Whitworth - 110, Willamette - 111, PLU - 113).
The Boxers were led by the duo of Hannah Berdahl and Kara Putman who took 4th and 5th place, respectively. They both ran big PRs, with Berdahl clocking in at 22:49.8 and Putman at 22:51.2. Eliza Irish had in incredible kick down the finishing stretch to capture a big PR (23:33.9) and take 16th place, just two spots out of Second-Team All-Conference honors. Taylor Isaac came in just behind Irish in 20th place with a new PR of 23:42.8 and was the sixth freshman in the race to cross the line.
Liz Bradley was having a phenomenal race, but pushed herself all the way to her limit and collapsed 100m from the finish line. Bradley was able to get up and fight all the way to the end to finish in 42nd place with a time of 24:23.4, still a big PR despite her circumstances. Kristin Pilgrim and Kristi Echiverri stepped up and helped make up the points from Bradley's collapse with their respective 36th and 41st place finishes. Pilgrim blasted a new PR of 24:14.7 and Echiverri also ran a new PR of 24:21.9. Morgan Henry came in just behind those two with her 56th place finish and new PR of 24:41.2. Bethany Kalebaugh ran a huge PR of 25:15.8 for 66th place, and Madelyn Hubbs finished in 73rd place with a PR of 25:30.6.
"I'm extremely proud of both teams for the way they ran today," assistant coach Bailee Cofer said. "It's been such a joy seeing this young women's team make history in back to back years at the conference meet. They've got a special thing going. It's a lot of fun watching them grow this way as a team."
The Boxers race again in two weeks in the NCAA DIII West Region Championships held in Claremont, Calif. by Pomona-Pitzer.
