April 22, 2016 SPOKANE, Wash. - The Gonzaga men's cross country and track programs will welcome 11 new members to their 2016-17 rosters. The new class of signees is the largest under Director of GU Cross Country and Track
Pat Tyson.
"Unbelievable the windfall of talented young runners joining the Zag Nation for cross country and track and field," Tyson said. "I did not expect this many to commit! It is unprecedented and means I'll have to ease down on the number next year. All 11 of these young men bring more than just running potential, they are also stellar students! They are stellar guys who want to make a positive difference in the world! These are guys who want to help GU cross country win a WCC title! They all want to be successful distance runners at the highest level."
Danville, Calif. * San Ramone Valley High School
Bradley joins Gonzaga after a stellar career at San Ramone Valley High School. He ran a career-best 4:19.47 in the 1,600 meters at the West Coast Relays on April 2. A week later at the Arcadia Invitational, he ran a personal record in the 3,200 meters at 9:18.23 in fifth place. He was a two-time runner of the year at SRVHS, receiving the team leader and most improved awards.
Bradley's best cross country time over a 5,000-meter course came during his senior season at 15:35.5 at the Apache Invitational. He placed fifth out of 124 runners at the 2015 North Coast Section Championships with a time of 15:43.6 over the three-mile course.
"I chose Gonzaga because when I visited on my recruiting trip I felt like I was 'with my people'," Bradley said. "Additionally, Gonzaga has fantastic business, track and cross country programs."
While running under head coach Tim Hunter, Bradley boasts a 3.65 GPA. The son of Kim and Paul Bradley, Stefan would like to major in business and is interested in entrepreneurship.
"Stefan verbally committed early," Tyson said. "He brings in great potential to our program. In cross country, he qualified for California state championships. I'm excited to coach the young man from Danville, Calif."
Notes from Stefan: I started jogging freshman year than ran sophomore year on. Currently sitting on PR's of 4:19 for 1600, 9:18 for 3200 and 15:36 for 5k. I climb rocks, read books, ride bikes and debate politics in my free time. Fun facts: I am a professional barista and coffee roaster, have eaten the three hottest peppers in the world, and could not cut a pancake till 7th grade.
Rocklin, Calif. * Rocklin High School
Clusserath will be a freshman in 2016-17 at Gonzaga. He was named the Sierra Foothills League Runner of the Year after winning the SFL Cross Country Championships in 2015. He ran a time of 15:36 in the championships, but he won his race with a career-best 15:18.5 over the 5,000-meter course at the Stanford Cross Country Invitational as a senior.
His mother, Pat Matava, ran cross and track at the University of Virginia. Clusserath chose GU because of its firm academics and Coach Tyson. Clusserath is a Class Valedictorian nominee at RHS with a 4.5 GPA. He is interested in civil engineering at Gonzaga.
On the track, Clusserath's best 1,600-meter time, 4:22.17, came at the 2014 Sac Joaquin Section Div. I Finals. He ran a 4:23.86 in the mile at this year's Stanford Invitational.
"Andrew verbally committed early last week," Tyson said. "In cross country, Andrew was fourth place in the California CIF Sac-Joaquin sectional. More importantly, the young man from Rocklin High School won his division at the famous Stanford Invitational with one of the top times on that course. He is a very young and untapped runner. He's really going to be a fun kid to develop! He has big upside down the road!"
Notes from Andrew: In the tenth grade, I started doing track after my friends convinced me to join and became hooked when I ran 4:22.17 in the 1600. I faced some injuries during my junior year, but still managed to compete in the CIF state cross country meet and run 16:16 for 5k. As well, I was able to run 1:59.71 in the 800 meters. During my senior year, at the Stanford invitational, I ran a huge personal record of 15:18.5 over the 5k distance. When I am not training, I enjoy playing hackey sack and spikeball with my friends.
Kennewick, Wash. * Kamiakin High School
Fishburn has enjoyed a standout career at Kamiakin High School. He recently won the 3,200 meters at the Pasco Invitational, the nation's largest single-day high school meet. His time of 9:29.71 was just off of his personal best 9:22.99. He ran a career-best 4:29.64 in the 1,600 meters at the Davis Invitational on April 9.
Fishburn placed fifth at the 2015 WIAA State Championships. He was the Mid-Columbia Conference champion and the runner-up at the regional meet. His 15:23.62 at the 2015 Sundodger Invitational was third in the event. He also placed seventh at the NXR Northwest meet.
"The family atmosphere was the biggest factor with choosing Gonzaga," Fishburn said. "That along with the phenomenal coaching and academics helped me make my decision."
Fishburn has run under Matt Rexus at KHS, where he was named All-State in 2014 and 2015, and All-Area Runner of the Year in cross country in 2015.
"Phillip is one of the top recruits out of the state of Washington," Tyson said. "Phil will evolve into a very good Div. 1 distance runner at Gonzaga. On top of that, he is a great student! I'm really pumped to coach him."
Notes from Phillip: I am a distance runner from Kamiakin. I began running in eighth grade just for fun before truly embracing it in high school. I have also been a member of National Honors Society and volunteered actively in my community through my church and other local organizations. The biggest draw by far for Gonzaga is the family atmosphere; something reminiscent to my old team at Kamiakin, and the incredible coaching.
Louisville, Colo. * Monarch High School
Hogan was a four-time cross country state qualifier from Monarch High School in Louisville, Colo. Running at altitude, he ran a personal best 16:06 over a 5,000-meter course at the Liberty Bell Invitational in September. He placed 13th at the 2015 NXN Southwest Regional.
On the track, Hogan ran a personal best 4:31.39 in the 1,600 meters at the Mullen Runner's Roost Invite on April 9. He placed second in the race. In the 3,200 meters, he ran a 10:11.82 at last year's Front Range League Championships.
"I chose Gonzaga because of its unparalleled commitment to academics, the atmosphere around campus, and of course the coaching and running program," Hogan said.
Hogan was named Academic All-State with an impressive 4.25 GPA. He is on the MHS honor roll as well.
"Ben is a great young prospect from Colorado," Tyson said. "He is a stellar student that is extremely athletic! He is a tough young man with a soccer background who wants to be a full time runner. He should develop into a very good cross runner and steeplechase runner in track. I'm really excited about Ben being a Zag!"
Seattle, Wash. * Bishop Blanchet High School
Hogan joins a long list of distance runners from Bishop Blanchet High School in Seattle to join Gonzaga. He was a two-time All-State cross country runner, selected first team in 2015. Hogan was the AAA Metro League cross country champion. He placed third at the Washington State Championships in Pasco. Between cross country and track, Hogan is an eight time varsity letterman at BBHS.
"I knew I wanted to go to Gonzaga ever since I received my first recruiting letter from the legendary Coach Tyson," Hogan said. "To actually put pen to paper is both a relief and a dream come true. Not too many other kids are in this position, so I'm having fun with it. We have the chance to do some special things in the coming years at Gonzaga and I can't wait to be a part of the journey."
On the track, Hogan boasts personal bests of 4:15.31 in the 1,600 and 9:20.36 in 3,200 meters. His 4:15.31 1,600-meter time came at the Pasco Invitational this season. He ran a personal record 4:16.78 mile time at the same meet.
"Peter verbally committed early," Tyson said. "He was one of the top guns from the Seattle! He is a blue chip kid from Bishop Blanchet High School. He is a solid recruit who loves Gonzaga and he tells me this is his dream school! Like the others, I am so excited to see how far Peter evolves as a student-athlete in Zagland!"
Notes from Peter: My junior year Cross Country season I helped lead my team to a Seattle Metro League championship, and a third place trophy at the 3A State Championship, where I placed 11th individually. After being injured and missing my junior year track season, I came back to win the individual Metro League title, and placed 3rd at 3A state. I'm the newest addition to a long lineage of Bishop Blanchet distance runners to head east to Gonzaga University.
Cedar Crest, N.M. * East Mountain High School
Heffelfinger brings plenty of success to the Gonzaga cross and track programs. He was the New Mexico AAAA cross country champion in his junior and senior seasons. Heffelfinger ran a personal best 16:01.40 over the 5,000-meter course in the 2015 state championships. In track, he was the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter district champion. He posted his career-best 4:24.16 1,600-meter time at altitude.
"I chose to come to Gonzaga because of its strong ethos, it's a beautiful school, it's amazing running program including the coaches and athletes," Heffelfinger said.
Heffelfinger's mother Candace Calhoun ran cross country and track for Cornell University. She was the Oregon State Champion in high school in the 800 meters and 1,500 meters. Alex was named the EMHS Student-Athlete of the Year in 2013-14 and in 2014-15.
"Alex verbally committed early too," Tyson said. "This kid has raw talent and trains at altitude! He has tasted being the best in cross country. He should help the Zags chase BYU and Portland with the other flock of recruits making the most talented and biggest group in Gonzaga history!"
Notes from Alex: I am a runner from Albuquerque, N.M. I grew up trail running with my family. After winning two state titles, I am extremely excited to run collegiately and represent Gonzaga.
Spokane, Wash. * Lewis and Clark High School
Kopczynski joins his relative, Scott, on the Gonzaga men's cross and track rosters. Quinn was sixth in the 3,200 meters at last year's regionals with a time of 9:48.85. He ran a personal best 9:46.59 in the district meet as a junior. His best 1,600-meter time is 4:34.74.
"Gonzaga has everything I want both athletically and academically," Kopczynski said. "I am excited to be coached by Tyson because of his energy, and I liked how tight-knit the team felt."
In cross country, Kopczynski's personal best time on a 5,000-meter course came at the state championships in the fall at 16:15.6. He ran a 15:59.55 on the three-mile course at the Mountain West Classic in 2014. He placed 18th in the prestigious event. He qualified for the Foot Locker regional race following his junior and senior seasons. Kopczynski has been the cross country and track captain at LCHS the past two seasons.
"Quinn has untapped potential from nearby Lewis & Clark High School," Tyson said. "He is an excellent student! He comes from a prominent Spokane family. He will develop into an excellent 8K/10K guy and on the track a 3K steepler."
Kopczynski would like to major in civil engineering at Gonzaga. He has taken nine AP classes at Lewis and Clark High School and has a 3.73 GPA, but weighted at 4.25.
Notes from Quinn: I started cross country in high school after having a record of a 6:45 mile in middle school. Running wasn't really my thing until a little ways into freshman year after I lettered and got excited about running. I competed in the Washington State Championships this past fall. Outside of running I work construction for my dad over the summers, and mostly hang out with the team.
Lakeside, Mont. * Flathead High School
Perrin joins the Bulldogs and will look to make immediate impact on the 2016-17 roster as a freshman. He may go down as of the best runners in Montana history. The senior at Flathead High School won the state mile title last year as a junior and the state cross country title as senior. It was only his second season running cross country.
His winning time of 14:47.90 at the state cross country championships was a personal record. He finished in the top-10 in all nine of the races he ran in as a senior, placing in the top-five in eight of them, and the top-three in seven.
"Gonzaga was an easy choice for me because of the great campus and atmosphere," Perrin said.
He ran eight 1,600-meter races as a junior, and won seven of them, including crossing the line in the state championships at 4:21.17. He placed second in the 3,200 meters at 9:30.67. He ran his 1,600-meter personal best of 4:16.54 in a first place finish at his lone so far this season. He also ran a personal record 9:02.49 in the 3,200 meters this season.
"Jake is one of the top recruits in Gonzaga distance running history," Tyson said. "He comes from the Kalispell Valley, which is home to many great distance runners including our star junior
Troy Fraley. Jake is emerging into one of the greatest runners ever to come out of Montana! Jake will really help the Zag program continue to go to the highest level. He comes in with a great work ethic, which is classic Montana style! He is extremely motivated and has an old school work ethic. I'm really excited to coach Jake and see how far he goes!"
Notes from Jake: I started running the summer going into my junior year after two seasons of football. I work at a jerky shop during the summer. My older brother Zach runs for the Colorado cross country and track teams. He was on their back-to-back national championship teams.
Richland, Wash. * Richland High School
Sandoval brings a versatile style running to the Zags' 2016-17 roster. He is a talented distance runner that can stretch things out and compete well during the cross country season. He has been the district 800-meter champion three years in a run. His personal best time is 1:55.69 in the event. Sandoval owns 9:24.22 3,200-meter and 4:01.87 1,500-meter personal records as well.
"I chose Gonzaga because I feel that the university will allow me to realize my full potential as a student and an athlete," Sandoval said. "I want to earn my electrical engineering degree and also be a NCAA Div. I champion."
He was a state qualifier in the 800 meters as a sophomore and placed sixth at the state championships as a member of the RHS 4x400-meter relay team. He boasts a 3.58 GPA and received the school's Academic Achievement Award, along with the Distinguished Scholastic and Outstanding Scholastic awards in 2014.
"Jonah has very good range," Tyson said. "He can run middle distance for us and help with the cross country team. He is a great student and a great young man to add to our roster!"
Notes from Jonah: Not only have I ran cross and track at Richland High School, but I have played basketball for two seasons. My favorite type of music is hip-hop.
Veradale, Wash. * University High School
Simpson will stay in Spokane for college. The University High School standout comes to GU as a freshman in 2016-17. He is one of the top cross country runners in the state of Washington. He placed second at regionals and helped UHS to the regional title. Simpson placed 11th at the state championships with a personal record time of 15:41.1 over the 5,000-meter course. He qualified for the Nike Border Clash as well. He was named second team All-League as a sophomore and junior, before being selected first team as a senior.
As a junior in track, Simpson placed third in the 3,200 meters at the 2015 regionals, after placing fourth at the district meet. His 3,200-meter personal record is 9:26.87, while his best 1,600-meter mark is 4:25.09.
"I chose Gonzaga because of its nursing program and the cross and track coaching staff," Simpson said.
An outstanding student, Simpson received the 2015-16 Greater Spokane League Male Scholar Athlete award from University High School. He has a 4.0 GPA and has been a member of the Honor Society for four years. The son of Jeff and Shanda Simpson also received the AP Scholar Award.
"Hunter is a local kid," Tyson said. "His marks show the great potential he has! He will develop over time to really help the Zag distance running program. Add to the fact he too is an amazing student! "
Notes from Hunter: I am choosing the nursing major with the goal of being a nurse anesthetist. I have not eaten chocolate since I was seven years old. I am also an eagle scout.
Portland, Ore. * Central Catholic High School
Thompson brings an impressive resume to the Gonzaga cross country and track programs. He has competed at the Oregon state cross country championships in each of his four years at Central Catholic High School in Portland. He has helped the Rams win four straight state titles and a berth to NXN. He was a two-time qualifier for the Nike Border Clash. Thompson was an All-State selection at CCHS with a top finish of 12th at the 2013 state championships. He was named first team All-Mt. Hood Conference and first team All-District all four years in cross country.
Both parents, Eric and Colleen Thompson, competed in Cross Country and Track and Field for Gonzaga University. My mother, Colleen, was the senior female athlete of the year at Gonzaga. My older brother,
Kyle Thompson, competes for the University of Wisconsin
"I chose Gonzaga because it was a place I felt like I could call home," Thompson said. "It is a welcoming community amongst the campus and the team. I like the direction that Coach Tyson is taking the team and the passion that he feels for the sport. I also liked Gonzaga because I wanted a Jesuit University where the academic rigors would prepare me best for the future."
Thompson boasts a 4.1 GPA and has been on the school's honor roll seven times. Outside of high school, he ran for the Bowerman Track Club and placed seventh at the Junior Olympic Nationals his freshman year. He was named a Junior Olympic All-American as well.
"Daniel is all about being a Zag," Tyson said. "Both of his parents were very good Zag runners so it is in his blood."
Notes from Daniel: I love pretzels. I'd like to major in environmental studies and want to obtain a job that deals with the environment.
