THE SCHEDULE                 Seattle Pacific at NCAA Division II Championships
                                                Saturday, Nov. 23, 2018
                                                Women's 6K, 10:00 a.m.     Men's 10K, 11:15 a.m.
                                                Arcade Creek Golf Course / Sacramento, Calif.
                                                Live Webcast (pay-per-view)     Live results
 
        Meet Website (HTML)
 
SEATTLE – The road to Sacramento took a few unexpected twists and turns for the Seattle Pacific women's cross country team.
 
But it still got them to their ultimate destination.
 
For the second straight year, the Falcons will lace up their racing shoes for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. This time, it will be at Arcade Creek Golf Course in Sacramento on Saturday morning. The 6-kilometer race begins at 10:00 a.m. The 10-kilometer men's race starts at 11:15, although SPU does not have an entry in that one.
 
A total of 34 teams, plus numerous individual qualifiers, will be in each race.
 
This is the 18^th time that Seattle Pacific will compete in the biggest meet of the season. Last year in the slip and slop at Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, the Falcons placed 15^th – and five of those runners, including a trio of seniors, will toe the starting line again on Saturday.
 
SPU comes into the meet ranked No. 16 nationally.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Saturday's race will have a live Webcast and live results. The Webcast will be on a pay-per-view basis through FloTrack. Live results will be free. The appropriate links are at the top of this story.
 
RUGGED, RUGGED WEST
Year in and year out, the West Region is arguably the best in the country – and as such, is one of the toughest in the country from which to advance.
 
It certainly was evident this fall, as seven of the 34 teams at nationals come from that region.
 
Only the top three from each of the eight regions around the country earn automatic qualifying berths. In the West, those three were Chico State, Northwest Nazarene, and Cal State East Bay. Along with the top three from the other seven regions, that accounted for 24 of the 34 available berths.
 
Everyone else was then thrown into the mix for 10 at-large spots, using a basketball-style RPI system. The West women grabbed four of those 10: Alaska Anchorage, SPU, Cal Poly Pomona, and Western Washington. But even at that, a pair of nationally ranked teams – then-No. 23 UC San Diego and No. 25 Cal State Stanislaus – wound up not making the cut.
 
The men's side was somewhat similar. Chico, Pomona, and Cal State San Marcos grabbed the automatic spots. Then, Stanislaus, Western Washington, and Biola were awarded at-large invitations.
 
LET THERE BE SUN – AND THERE IS SUN
Rain? Mud? That's so last year
 
In fact, not only can everyone forget about the galoshes and umbrellas, a light jacket might be all that's actually needed. The forecast says the morning could be cool, coming off over night lows around 40. But after that, the thermometer will be moving toward the mid 60s.
 
Furthermore, this entire week has been sunny and dry, so the course should have solid footing, except for the usual morning dew. Wind is not expected to be a factor, either.





SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- While this is the 18^th time the Falcon women have been to the NCAA meet, it is the program's 21^st nationals overall.
--The first three of those were when national championships were under the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) umbrella in 1979, 1980, and 1981. The NCAA took over sponsorship in 1981, although the Falcons still ran AIAW that year.
-- Among the five returning SPU runners from last year's national team, senior Katherine Walter was the top placer at 85^th.
-- The team tallied 466 points in 2018 for its 15^th-place finish.
-- The lowest national score for an SPU team was 99, twice: the 1980 AIAWs (second place) and the 1986 NCAAS (third).
-- This is the seventh time the D2 nationals have been run in California, and the first time since 2005.
-- Of the previous six NCAAs in the Golden State, Seattle Pacific ran in three of them, placing third in 1986 (Riverside), seventh in 1990 (McKinleyville) and eighth in 1996 (Arcata).
-- The Falcons had a stretch of three consecutive national trophies, placing second in 2007 and fourth in 2008 and 2009.
-- Those were the same three years Jessica Pixler raced to the national championship.
-- Altogether, Seattle Pacific has five trophies for top-4 team finishes.
-- The Falcons have four individual national crowns. Along with Pixler's three straight, Joan Corbin won the AIAW Division II championship in 1979.
-- In addition to the four titles, SPU runners have had six other national top-10 finishes. The only one to make it more than once was Laurie Shansby (third in the 1980 and 1981 AIAWs.
-- The Falcons have posted single-digit team finishes in all five meets so far this fall: first at the PLU Invitational, eighth at the Capital Cross Challenge, fourth at the Western Washington Classic, third at the GNAC Championships, and fifth at NCAA West Regionals.
-- SPU has had 17 cross country All-Americans. The most recent one was Kaylee Mitchell, who was 35^th last year in Pittsburgh. The top 40 at nationals are accorded All-American status by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
 
SCOUTING THE NCAAs
The past two trips to the NCAAs have seen the Falcons finish 15^th both times – 2015 in Joplin, Missouri, and last year in Pittsburgh.
 
Naturally, they would like to step that up a few places on Saturday. That's certainly within reach, but everyone will need their best races of the season – no exceptions – to make that happen.
 
 

Junior Dania Holmberg is coming off her best race of the season. Matter of fact, call it the best race of her career, as she placed second at West Regionals two weeks ago. Prior to that, she had her best GNAC finish ever, finishing fourth in the Billings snow. She already has a solid performance at Arcade Creek, picking off 20-plus runners on Sept. 28 to take 24^th in the Capital Cross Challenge.
 
 

Senior Kate Lilly also has had a strong autumn. She was 12^th in the Capital Cross, hanging with that pack of runners for almost the entire distance. Then at GNAC, she got in between the top two Alaska Anchorage runners to finish second, and was eighth at Regionals.
 
 

To secure a trip to NCAAs, the Falcons needed other strong performances at regionals, and senior Katherine Walter delivered with her best race of the year. She was No. 3 across the line for SPU and 38^th overall.
 
With the experience they gained on this course in September, it'll be up to Walter, senior Sedona McNerney, junior Elizabeth Thompson, and redshirt freshman Kelsey Washenberger to make a difference on Saturday. Walter and Washenberger have scored in every meet this season; the other spots have been in flux from meet to meet.
 
As for the team to beat? If the past several years are any guidance, it'll be either Adams State of Colorado or Grand Valley State of Michigan. Grand Valley quite literally ran away with it last year, compiling just 41 points. That was less than half the runner-up score of 83 posted by the University of Mary, and was the lowest total since 2004 when Adams won it with 31.
 
Of the 16 titles since 2003, Adams State has won nine and Grand Valley has won six. The only other school to break in there was Augustana of South Dakota in 2011.
 
Colorado School of Mines is a strong team, and won the Capital Cross Challenge. But the Orediggers were 39 points behind Adams (21 to 60) at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 26, and were 24 points back (27 to 51) at the South Central Regionals.
 
Chico State doesn't have a star front runner, but has a very tight pack. At West Regionals, the Wildcats went 5-9-17-20-24, separated by just 27 seconds. At Arcade Creek in September, they had just one runner in the top 30 (26^th), but all five scorers finished between 26^th and 52^nd and within 19 seconds.

THEY'LL KNOW THEIR WAY AROUND
Back in September, the Falcons came to Arcade Creek for the Capital Cross Challenge with the idea of previewing the national course, since they felt strongly that they would return in November.
 
  And here they are. The 6K layout is typical of many golf courses that are used for large cross country meets. It's mostly flat, but the route also goes over a few rolling hills – nothing steep, just enough so one's legs definitely feel it.
 
Fans can see several stages of the race, even more for those who are willing and able to do a little jogging themselves from point to point.
 
At Capital Cross, the Falcons ran in the elite-level Women's Invitational, which featured eight nationally ranked D2 teams, a handful of D1 teams – a total of 40 teams altogether -- and 322 athletes. SPU was eighth in the team standings and third among D2s.

Click on the diagram at right for a full-size look at the course.

COACH CHRIS REED SAYS …
(On racing at nationals)
"It's a big goal every season just to reach this stage. But I think the maturity of our group is shining its colors the last few weeks. The ladies have this motivation that they want to do well. They don't just want to go and be a participant. They want to go and do something special and put a nice cherry on top of this season."
 
 

(On getting out of the West)
"The regional meet is just such a good preparation for NCAAs. There are seven teams from our region who are going to be there, some of them among the top teams. Being able to run well at the regional meet sets us up well for the national meet."
 
(On what's possible for the Falcons)
"On the right day, we can finish top 10, absolutely. We have to run well – we can't finish top 10 on accident. It has to be one of those things where we put together our best meet of the season. Ultimately, it's going to come down to the 200-plus runners and how they run. And hopefully, the six of us can go out there and put together great races and can be happy with the result. I think if we do that, the top 10 is within reach."
 
(On having raced here previously)
"It's not just the course that prepared us, it's the way that race (the Capital Cross Challenge) was. It was a big race, similar number of teams, similar number of starting boxes, similar level of competition. We lose some of the D1 teams (from that meet), but now, we bring in some of these top D2 teams who are running at a D1 level. That preparation lends itself to us. We're one of eight women's teams who have run that course this year, and that definitely helps us from a visualization standpoint."
 
LILLY SCORES NCAA TRIFECTA – AGAIN
For the second calendar year in a row, senior Kate Lilly has earned the distinction of racing in three NCAA championship meets – an opportunity that is unique to distance runners.
 
Last March in Pittsburg, Kansas, Lilly placed 12^th in the mile at the indoor track nationals, stopping the watch in 4 minutes, 54.79 seconds. Her placing was good for All-American 2^nd team status.
 
She was even better in the spring at outdoor nationals, running to a fifth-place finish in the 5000 meters in 17:23.33. That made her a 1^st team All-American. Lilly also ran the 1500 at the meet in Kingsville, Texas, placing 15^th.
 
Now, this will be Lilly's second cross country nationals.
 
In 2018, she was on the All-American fifth-place distance medley relay at indoor track, placed 10^th in the 1500 at outdoor track (2^nd team All-American), then was 120^th at national cross country.
 
WELCOME BACK TO THE TRAILS
The only national newbie for the Falcons this year is Kelsey Washenberger. A sophomore academically and for track, Washenberger has redshirt freshman status for cross country, as she did not compete for the Falcons in that sport last year.
 
 

Washenberger has come through with a scoring finish in each of the five meets so far. She was No. 4 for the team at the PLU Invitational, Western Washington Classic, GNAC, and West Regionals. She was No. 5 at the Capital Cross Challenge.
 
Though it's her first autumn of action for Seattle Pacific, Washenberger has plenty of XC experience. She ran in the Class 5A (large / medium school) Oregon state meet three times, helping Summit High School of Bend win the team title each time. She also won a league title, competed in the Northwest Regionals four straight year, and ran in the Nike Cross Country Nationals once.

ASCENDING THE AWARDS STAND
Several of the Falcons competing this weekend have had the satisfaction of climbing the steps of an awards stand at various levels of competition.
 
Last school year, Kate Lilly got to do so in the 1500 meters at both the GNAC indoor and outdoor meets (second place in both). She also was on the fifth-place portion of the podium for the NCAA outdoor 5000, and was on the fifth-place stair for the distance medley relay at the 2018 national indoor meet. And, Lilly was part of the award presentation at this year's GNAC and West Region cross country meets for second and eighth, respectively.
 
Dania Holmberg was on the stand for the first time last spring with her third-place finish in the 5000 at GNAC outdoors. She has two more podium appearances this fall at conference and regional cross country (fourth and second).
 
Katherine Walter and Sedona McNerney climbed the steps at GNAC outdoors last spring in the 10,000 meters, as Walter was second and McNerney third.
 
ON-COURSE SPEED, OFF-COURSE SMARTS 
 

It's an academic three-peat for Kate Lilly, Sedona McNerney, and Katherine Walter. The three seniors have been named to the GNAC All-Academic cross country team for the third year in a row, and are among the eight SPU athletes – five of whom are racing on Saturday – to make the squad.
 
 

Juniors Dania Holmberg and Elizabeth Thompson made All-Academic for the second straight year. Sophomore Krystal Oien, who is now focusing on track, earned her first award.
 
Junior Elius Graff and sophomore Brayden Schultz were the two SPU men named to the squad.
 
All-Academic winners must have a minimum 3.2 grade-point average and be in at least a sophomore in eligibility.
 
POLLING PLACE
The final national poll prior to Saturday's NCAAs finds the Seattle Pacific women in the No. 16 spot. That is down two places from the pre-regional poll.

Adams State and Grand Valley State occupy the top two places. Along with SPU from the West, Chico State is No. 4, with Cal State East Bay at No. 14, Alaska Anchorage at No. 15, Western Washington at No. 18, and Cal Poly Pomona at No. 19.
 
The final West Region rankings followed the order of finish at the regional meet, putting SPU at No. 5. Chico State was No. 1.
 
UP NEXT
Following the final strides of cross country season, attention will turn to indoor track. As usual, the Falcons will open the season at the UW Indoor Preview, set for Saturday, Jan. 18, at Dempsey Indoor on the University of Washington campus. Field events start at 9:00 a.m., and the first track event is at 9:30 a.m.