SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga Women's Cross Country and Track & Field Head Coach Jake Stewart announced the signing of Ava Sutherland on Sunday. Sutherland, a native of Wellington, New Zealand, will join the Zags next fall as they look to continue their rise in the NCAA West Region in the fall and on the track.
 
Ava Sutherland | Wellington, New Zealand | Wellington Girls' College
Sutherland signs with Gonzaga after three years at Wellington Girls' College and two years with the Olympic Harrier and Athletic Club. In 2024, Sutherland placed seventh at the Mission Estate New Zealand U20 Cross Country Championships, and competed at the U20 World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. In 2025 alone, Sutherland has recorded PRs in three events on the track, including a 4:36.41 in the 1500-meters in January and a 9:48.81 in the 3000-meters in February.
 
Stewart on Sutherland: "To be able to add Ava to the class of 2025 at this stage of the year is something we weren't expecting but is certainly a plus. In our conversations, what impressed us most was her motivation to surround herself with quality athletes and what she felt that needed to look like," Stewart said. "Ava's an athlete we feel can come to Spokane, continue to develop in a healthy way, bringing a depth of international race experience to make the program better right away."