Gonzaga Women's XC / Track Inks Three to NLI's
11/9/2022 2:08:00 PM | Cross Country
SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga Women's Cross Country announced the signing of three new runners to National Letters of Intent Wednesday, including Washington's Jessica Frydenlund, Minnesota's Jade Rypkema and Spanish-born Maria Taggi.
"We're really pleased with the class we've been able to put together thus far — a lot of talent and overall really good people," said Head Coach Jake Stewart. "We put a lot of work into this group, and know each athlete is the right fit for Gonzaga.
"We feel that each athlete we have signing can come into the program and make an immediate impact. We're confident that bringing these three ladies into the program will continue to propel the momentum we feel we have right now. We couldn't ask for a better trio in the Class of 2023 to kick things off for us."
Jessica Frydenlund
Anacortes, Wash. | Anacortes HS
Frydenlund, who finished second overall at the WIAA 2A State Championships over the weekend, ran a personal best in the 5K at districts with a time 17:31.8 and never placed lower than third in her senior season. Frydenlund has been considered one of the elite runners in the Evergreen state since her individual state championship the fall of 2021, when she won 10 of her 13 races and led her Seahawks squad to a second-place team finish at state for the highest team finish ever in school history. On the track last spring, Frydenlund finished fifth at state in the 1600m and fourth in the 3200m.
Stewart on Frydenlund: "We really like the personality we feel Jessica is going to bring to the team. She's a fiery competitor. Looking at her career at Anacortes, she's always in the mix, every race she runs, she's in it. We feel like Jessica has shown herself to be the best athlete in the class of 2023 out of the state of Washington, and that's a testament to the work she's done. Getting the best kids out of this state is important for us, and we're excited to have Jessica and her family joining us as we continue to build the program in the way we want."
Jade Rypkema
Nevis, Minn. | Nevis HS
The Zags get a Class A Minnesota state champion in Rypkema, who took the individual crown after entering ranked No. 2 and finishing fifth the year previous. Her senior season, Rypkema placed first in every race she competed in, including a 17:16.6 5K personal best at the Perham Invite on Oct. 6. Last outdoor track season, she also recorded personal bests in the 1600m (4:58.27) and 3200m (10:36.99) en route to Minnesota state titles in both events, finishing fourth among the country's best competition in the 5000m at Nike Outdoor Nationals with a personal best (17:07.33).
Stewart on Rypkema: "We really believe she's one of the best athletes in the country in the Class of 2023, and we've felt that way for some time. Her competitive instincts are really mature, and we're confident in the work she can do while making the transition to running collegiately. She's got a great family and support system behind her, and is excited about being on campus in August 2023."
Maria Taggi
Cambrils, Spain | Escola Elisabeth
An experienced competitor at the national level for both track and cross country in her native Spain, Taggi followed up a 14th-place finish at the 2021 U18 National Championships in cross country with a second-place national finish on the 1500m track. Taggi touts PR's of 4:33.13 in the 1500m and 9:59.33 in the 3000m.
Stewart on Taggi: "The versatility that Maria has shown is a tremendous addition to our program. She's run well over any number of distances on the track, but she's also run really well over cross country at a national level in Spain, and can run great NCAA cross country. We believe that Maria will bring a unique level of experience to our program. She's a tremendous student, comes from an awesome family, and will fit well in Spokane."
