SPOKANE, Wash.—Both Gonzaga University cross country squads will compete Saturday, Sept. 20, as the top male runners will host Navy in a duel while the women's squad and a handful of men race in Gonzaga's own Erik Anderson Invitational. Both races will take place at Plantes Ferry in Spokane, Wash.
The men's squad will take part in its first dual meet in three years by hosting the Midshipmen at 9:00 a.m. Navy is currently ranked seventh in the Mid-Atlantic region by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and coming off a victory in its own Navy Invitational Sept. 13.
For the runners, running in a dual is different than an invitational meet. Running against just one other team shifts the runners' focus away from their own time and more towards their place at the finish.
"Duals are all about place, not time," said men's cross country head coach Pat Tyson. "Place is everything. We score the place of each team's top five runners and the sixth- and seventh-place finishers can displace guys on the other team. The top five are huge."
Tyson thinks his squad will match up well with Navy. The Gonzaga men's cross country team is currently ranked 13th in the tough West region by the USTFCCCA and is well rested, having last raced three weeks ago at the Clash of the Inland Northwest.
"I see Navy and Gonzaga pretty even on paper," said Tyson of the dual. "We have a solid three up front and hope our next group can close the gap. It should be a great duel."
The Zags last ran in a dual meet Sept. 10, 2011, when they defeated Oregon by a score of 26-33 in Sunriver, Ore.
The Gonzaga women's cross country squad, meanwhile, will take part in the Erik Anderson Invitational, which is slated for a 9:45 a.m. start. A meet with solid regional competition, the Erik Anderson Invite is a great chance for the Zags to build their depth for later in the season.
"We are looking for some of our developing athletes to do just that: show improvement," said women's head coach Patty Ley. "With over 30 student-athletes, we can and should be the deepest squad in the WCC. Now is the chance for other athletes to take that responsibility."
By resting a few of the runners who competed in last weekend's WCC Preview, Ley is giving two juniors, Shelby Mills and Zoë Urcadez the opportunity to prove themselves.
"Shelby and Zoë will have a chance to be our leaders this weekend," said Ley.
The Zags are coming off a fifth-place showing at the WCC Preview Sept. 13. They were bolstered by a fifth-place finish from Amelia Evans, who is among those being held out of Saturday's Erik Anderson Invitational.
