Gonzaga Men's and Women's XC Crack Top 5 in West Region Rankings
8/30/2022 12:09:00 PM | Cross Country
Men open at No. 3, Women No. 4 in West
SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga men's and women's cross country both cracked the Top Five in the West Region in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCA) Regional Rankings released Tuesday ahead of the start of the fall season, with the men ranked No. 3 and women ranked No. 4 in the region, respectively.
Regional Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning teams' strength with current season results (if applicable) in determining a rank-order of squad potential.
The GU women placed second as a team at the West Coast Conference Championships and fourth at NCAA West Regionals last fall, but were one of the first teams out for an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. Head Coach Jake Stewart's squad reached a program-best of No. 3 in the West last fall after the Zags' strong showing at Nuttycombe (21st overall) and at WCC's.
Along with three-time nationals competitor Kristen 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.
The Zag men are coming off their second-straight NCAA Championships appearance as a team after making it for the first time under Pat Tyson in spring of 2021, and return plenty of experience as well. 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, where they placed 26th.
Both teams are set to kick off their fall season Thursday at Clash of the Inland Northwest in Cheney, which the Bulldogs have swept twice in a row. The men's race is set for 9 a.m. with the women's set for 9:45 a.m. Check GoZags.com for live results and follow @ZagRunning on Twitter and IG for more.
