SPOKANE, Wash. – Individual and team honors are on the line this weekend when Whitworth competes at the 2025 Northwest Conference cross country championship meet, hosted by Pacific Lutheran University on its on-campus course in Parkland, Washington. The men's eight-kilometer race will start at 10:00 am and the women's six-kilometer race will follow at 11:00 am.
Check the Whitworth cross country schedule page for links to live results and an official meet program.
The Pirates are hoping to improve upon last season, their best combined team finishes since 2018 when the women finished third and the men took secnd place.
Whitworth's men are currently ranked eighth in the NCAA west region behind defending NWC champion George Fox. The Bruins are ranked fifth. London Haley comes into the meet as one of the strong favorites to finish in first place. Isaac Akiyama also has a strong shot at an All-Northwest Conference finish. The Pirates' team chances may hinge on runners like Nick Baker, Nolan McLaughlin, Alex McIntyre, Tom McKee and Tommy Wirth and how they place in the race.
The Pirate women are ranked seventh regionally. George Fox is sixth and Pacific (Ore.) is eighth. Whitworth finished behind George Fox and Willamette in the 2024 NWC Championships. Ashlyn Dary, Lily Jones and Kezlie Thygesen have been the Pirate' top three finishers all season and should challenge for All-NWC recognition. Bethany Doggett made big strides forward at Linfield's George Oja Invitational. If Madylyn Danaraj or Hannah Higens had strong finishes, Whitworth could be in the hunt for a team title.
The top five individual finishers earn first team All-Northwest Conference recognition. The next five (6th through 10th place) earn second team honors, with 11th through 15th claiming third team recognition. The winner of the race is the NWC Runner of the Year. The top-finishing first-year is the Freshman of the Year.
The last time Whitworth won a title in cross country was 2017 when the women took first place with 42 points. The last win for the Pirate men was 2011.
