SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Rosina Machu was named the 2023 West Coast Conference Women's Runner of the Year, announced by the league on Wednesday. She is the second Gonzaga runner to earn the honor in program history, after Shelby Mills took it in 2015.
 
The conference recognized the WCC Men's and Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year and WCC Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in a vote of each of the Conference's head coaches at the conclusion of the NCAA cross country seasons for all programs.
 
A historic season for the sophomore, Machu broke the women's program 6K record three times over the course of the season, with the latest coming on Nov. 10 at the NCAA West Regional (19:15.7). She notched three individual race wins, with the first coming at the Lakefront Invitational on Sept. 29. Two weeks later, Machu won the Bronco Invite before earning the WCC Individual crown on Oct. 28 in Malibu with a 24-second victory.
 
In her fastest 6K race of the season and her career, Machu placed fourth at Regionals in Sacramento to earn All-Region for the second-straight season. Eight days later at the NCAA Championships in Charlottesville, Machu became just the second women's cross country All-American in program history and the first since 1996 (Cheska Fairbanks). Her 16th place (19:37.7) finish is the second highest to Fairbanks, who placed 14th in that '96 season.
 
Machu placed in the top four of every race this season with the exception of her 16th place finish at Nationals.
 
Machu's 2023 Season Stats

Sept. 9	2	Waves Invite	4K	13:56.0
Sept. 29	1	Lakefront Invitational	6K	19:20.3*
Oct. 14	1	Bronco Invite	6K	19:16.3*
Oct. 28	1	WCC Championships	6K	20:28.8
Nov. 10	4	NCAA West Regionals	6K	19:15.7*
Nov. 18	16	NCAA Championships	6K	19:37.7

 *indicates her record-breaking times

2023 West Coast Conference Women's Cross Country Awards
Women's Runner of the Year
Rosina Machu, Gonzaga, So.
 
Women's Coach of the Year
Marty Kinsey, Saint Mary's