Complete results (PDF)
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The season-opening cross country meet was as simple as 1-2-3 for the Seattle Pacific women.
Sophomore
Robyn Zeidler, senior
Katie Thralls, and freshman
Katie Morris were the first three runners across the finish line on Thursday as the Falcons swept past Alaska Fairbanks and Black Hills state in the season-opening Alaska Fairbanks Long-Course Dual at the West Ridge Ski Trails.
SPU, which has never finished higher than second teamwise in two previous trips to Fairbanks, finished with the day's low total of 26 points. The host Nanooks, coming off the school's first-ever trip to the NCAA meet last November, had 37, and Black Hills State of South Dakota had 60.
Seattle Pacific's men were second in the three-team mens meet with 42 points. Black Hills State won with 26; Alaska Fairbanks was third with 66.
With Zeidler, Thralls and Morris at the front, all five Falcon women's scorers were among the top 10 on Thursday. Sophomore
Jasmine Johnson (Federal Way, Wash. / Federal Way HS) was ninth, and freshman Lynelle Decker (Vancouver, Wash. / Mountain View HS) took 10th.
"I thought it was going to be between us and Fairbanks,” SPU coach Erika Daligcon said. “Everyone came and raced today.”
Not only did the Falcons have the top three spots, they were packed tightly together. Zeidler (Plymouth, Minn.) completed the 6-kilometer course in 22 minutes, 56.9 seconds; Thralls (Livermore, Calif.), who led through most of the race's first half, came through in 23:16.9; and Morris (Spokane, Wash. / Shadle Park HS) was next in 23:21.4.
Zeidler's victory was the first of her college cross country career. Her very first college race was in this same meet two years ago and ended with a 10
th-place finish in 24:51.8 – nearly two minutes slower than her winning time on Thursday.. She did not compete here last year while recovering from an injury.
“For Robyn to have the confidence to test her body and come through with the win, I was really proud of that,” Daligcon said. “I knew Katie wasn't going to be afraid to get in there and get gritty, and I was pleasantly surprised by her and by
Katie Morris.”
WOLFE, BAKER PACE SPU MEN
Seniors Jordan Wolfe (Bend, Ore.) and AJ Baker (Au Gres, Mich.) ran second and third for the Falcons, and senior Seth Pierson (Cashmere, Wash. / Cashmere HS) was fifth overall.
Wolfe finished 8 kilometers in 26:34.4, and Baker was 14 seconds behind in 26:48.0. Pierson clocked 27:15.2. Mitch Kraft of Black Hills State led most of the way and won in 26:11.5.
The time for Wolfe was 18 seconds faster than last year when he placed fourth, and Baker was more than a full minute ahead of his 2011 time of 27:51.0, which placed him 10
th in 2011. As a sophomore in 2010 when he ran in Fairbanks for the first time, Baker logged a 28:13.1.
Sophomore Tavish Taylor (Port Angeles, Wash. / Port Angeles HS) was 13
th, and freshman Colin Wilkins (Shoreline, Wash. / Shorewood HS) was 20
th to complete SPU's scoring.
All three schools will return on Saturday for the 4-kilometer short-course race. The men's starting gun is at 11 a.m. PDT, with the women to follow at 11:30.
NCAA WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Alaska Fairbanks Long-Course Dual
Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012
6 kilometers at West Ridge Ski Trails / Fairbanks, Alaska
Team scores – 1, Seattle Pacific 26; 2, Alaska Fairbanks 37; 3, Black Hills State 60.
Winner –
Robyn Zeidler (SPU) 22:56.9.
Other SPU placers – 2,
Katie Thralls 23:16.9; 3,
Katie Morris 23:21.4; 9,
Jasmine Johnson 24:58.5; 10,
Lynelle Decker 25:17.9; 13,
Josie Becker 25:56.2.
NCAA MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Alaska Fairbanks Long-Course Dual
Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012
8 kilometers at West Ridge Ski Trails / Fairbanks, Alaska
Team scores – 1, Black Hills State 26; 2, Seattle Pacific 42; 3, Alaska Fairbanks 66.
Winner – 1, Mitch Kraft (BH) 26:11.5.
SPU placers – 2, Jordan Wolfe 26:34.4; 3, AJ Baker 26:48.0; 5, Seth Pierson 27:15.2; 13, Tavish Taylor 27:49.8; 20, Colin Wilkins 30:11.4.
