Gonzaga University
NCAA West Regional Championships
Women's and Men's XC Lace Up for NCAA West Regionals
11/10/2022 1:29:00 PM | Cross Country
TACOMA, Wash. — Gonzaga Men's and Women's Cross Country laces up for NCAA West Regionals at Chambers Creek Regional Park on Friday, with a chance for both teams to earn an automatic bid to NCAA Nationals.
The top two in the team score in each race automatically qualify for NCAA Championships on Nov. 19 in Stillwater, Okla. The NCAA DI Cross Country Subcommittee will then choose 13 at-large teams to fill out the 31-team field, which will be announced during Saturday's NCAA Selection Show. At-large berths, however, are based firstly on their performance at regionals, making a third- or fourth-place showing in Chambers Creek a premium for both squads.
Start Times:
Women's 6,000m — 10:00 a.m. PT
Men's 10,000m — 11:00 a.m. PT
Live Results | Regional Championship Site
LAST TIME OUT
The GU men finished second and GU women took fourth at the West Coast Conference Championships at Fernhill Park in Portland, Ore. on Oct. 28, with Kristen Garcia (6th, 20:08.6) and Rosina Machu (7th, 20:13.1) joining Wil Smith (3rd, 22:11.5) as GU's All-WCC finishers.
WOMEN'S OUTLOOK
The GU women earned their highest team finish in program history at the NCAA West Regional Championships in 2021, placing fourth overall thanks to a third-place finish and 6K program record from Kristen Garcia and all seven Zag runners cracking the top 100 finishers. Garcia's 20:03.2 time topped Shelby Mills' 2014 WCC Championship race for the fastest 6K by a Zag runner in program history, punching her ticket to nationals as an individual while finishing just behind individual winner Julia Heymach (20:01.1) of Stanford and Ruby Smee (20:01.6) of San Francisco.
Along with a three-time nationals competitor in Garcia, GU returns five of its top seven from 2021 and adds six freshmen and two transfers, including another runner with nationals experience in Caramia Mestler (Oregon). In the spring, Garcia (10K) and fellow returner Alicia Anderson(5K, 1500m) both qualified for NCAA Regionals and reached the semifinals for their events.
MEN'S OUTLOOK
The GU men finished a program-best fifth overall in a loaded NCAA West Regional Championship race Friday morning, led by a fifth-place individual finish from James Mwaura that topped his own previous best for the fastest 10K time in program history.
Mwaura's 29:35.2 time anchored a 107-point outing for the Zags, which also got the fourth- and sixth-fastest 10K times in program history from Wil Smith (14th, 30:04.5) and Cullen McEachern (17th, 30:10.6) to make it three runners in the top 20 — all earning All-West Region honors. 107 points is GU's lowest-ever team score at a Regional Championship.
The Zags have qualified for two consecutive NCAA Championship races as a team, dating back to the Spring 2021 season. They're currently ranked No. 26 in the USTFCCCA National Poll after knocking off then-No. 14 Portland.
Led by 2021 All-American James Mwaura, the program record holder in both the 8K and 10K, GU brings back five runners who hold one of the 10 fastest times in program history in both distances and six of their top seven from nationals, including 2021 All-West Region finishers Wil Smithand Cullen McEachern.
NCAA SELECTION SHOW INFO
Following all the regional races on Friday, the NCAA Men's and Women's Cross Country Selection Show will air on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. on NCAA.com. Follow @ZagRunning on IG and Twitter for updates and more.
