COLFAX, Wash. – Competing against primarily NCAA Division I schools for the second straight meet, the Whitworth cross country teams stood up to the task well once again on Friday evening at the Cougar Classic Invitational.
The Pirate men finished sixth out of nine schools while the women were sixth of eight.
Led by a top-30 finish by London Haley, Whitworth's men scored 193 points for the sixth place finish, defeating Lewis-Clark State (NAIA), CC of Spokane (NWAC) and Seattle University (Div. I). Haley crossed the line with a time of 24:57.1 on the eight-kilometer course, scoring 19 points.
Isaac Akiyama finished 55th in 25:47.8 to score 31. Tommy Wirth was 74th (26:30.0), while Nolan McLaughlin was 79th (26:47.2). Nick Baker rounded out the Pirate top five in 83rd place (27:02.0).
Host Washington State had the top three individuals to win, ahead of Gonzaga. The final team scores were: WSU 26, Gonzaga 3, Montana 85, Central Washington (NCAA DII) 124, Eastern Washington 132, Whitworth 193, LCSC 206, CC of Spokane 214, Seattle Univ. 243.
The Cougars posted a perfect score to win the women's meet over runner-up EWU. The women's team scores were WSU 15, EWU 77, CWU 97, Montana 121, Seattle U 122, Whitworth 150, LCSC 182, CC Spokane 209.
Lily Jones and Kezlie Thygesen led the way by finishing 25th and 26th, respectively, in 22:41.8 and 22:44.4 on the six-kilometer course. They scored 19 and 20 points. Ashlyn Dary crossed in 35th place (23:01.6). Madison Frazier was 52nd (24:15.1) and Elizabeth Cornelius took 56th (24:24.9).
Whitworth will return to action, and get its first competition against primarily Division III opponents, on Sept. 20th at the Pacific Lutheran Invitational.
