SEATTLE – Like most runners, Annika Esvelt likes racing in a pack of tough competition – and she'll get to that at the conference championship meet in two weeks.
 
On Saturday morning, however, the Seattle Pacific standout was al-l-l by herself.

Esvelt literally ran away with the women's race, and Brennan LeBlanc came up with his best performance of the season to take sixth place on the men's side to wrap up cross country's regular season at the Emerald City Open.
 
Esvelt quickly opened up a commanding lead and then stretched it out as the race went along, winning the women's race by 68 seconds.
 
An academic senior but a junior in eligibility, Esvelt's time for 6 kilometers on the extremely hilly course at Lower Woodland Park was 22 minutes, 26 seconds
 
"I like it a little bit," she said of being out there by herself, "but you definitely are running scared more because you don't know who's coming up behind you. There are good things and bad things (about it). I feel like I was a little calmer, but I definitely want to have someone there to push me."
 




This was Esvelt's third race of the season. She made her debut on Sept. 16 at the PLU Invitational in Tacoma, placing second, then was 10th at the Bill Roe Western Washington Classic in Bellingham on Sept. 23.
 
"I sort of did the same race plan as the last two (meets)," she said. "But it's definitely getting better and more comfortable racing it, which gives me a lot of confidence going into GNACs. I wanted to have fun, and this is a good course to have fun, with the rolling hills, and the weather was perfect – and that's awesome."
 
In the last tune-up prior the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 21 in Anchorage, SPU sophomore Maya Ewing also came up with her best race of the season, placing fourth overall. Sophomore Matise Mulch was 14th, and freshman Anna Prussian crossed in 15th.
 
"We came here to practice getting out a little bit more aggressive to rehearse a little for what conference is going to feel like," SPU assistant coach / distance coach Eric Hansen said. "Annika came here and did her thing, wanting to visualize having some people around her today in preparation for the next two championship meets (GNAC and West Regionals).
 
"With Maya, we've  been waiting on that one for a bit. She definitely showed of what she's capable of today, and that should be a big confidence boost. She stepped up big, for sure."
 
The women's meet was won by Western Washington with 29 points. Seattle Pacific was second with 56.
 




LeBLANC LET 'ER RIP
Even before he headed to the course on Saturday, LeBlanc  knew he was going to go out hard and see how far he could take it.
 
He took it all the way around the grueling 2,000-meter loop four times, and was consistent from start to finish. He hovered between third and fifth in the early going, then settled solidly into sixth place and maintained that all the way to the finish line.
 
 

LeBlanc got there in 26 minutes, 29.27 seconds.
 
"The goal was to get out a little bit quicker than normal, and I did," he said. "The whole goal was to try to be relaxed throughout, and I did. I definitely should have pushed a little more at the end, but I was really trying to hold on to sixth, so I was playing a little bit conservative at the end. But otherwise, it was fun – I love hills, so I was good to go on the course."
 
LeBlanc wasn't sure if the course would catch up with him, such as it were.

It never did.
 
"After the first lap, I think I was in fifth, and I was like, 'Just relax and see if I can keep this pace,'" he said. "With any race, when you go out a little quickly, you'll slow down a little bit. But I kept my breathing steady, and it was fun to go out quick for once."
 
LeBlanc wasn't the only Falcon who had a strong day. Freshman Silas Demmert was 21st, sophomore Isaac Venable was 31st, and sophomore Nathaniel Gale was 36th. Gabe Endresen, another sophomore who has been well behind SPU's top five for the first three meets, moved up into the No. 5 team scoring spot, 43rd overall.
 
"Brennan did what we came here to do: We wanted him to get out a little quicker today, and it definitely paid off for him," Hansen said. "With Silas, this course is made for him. That kid is a monster on the hills. Gabe got off to a rough start this season, but he stepped up for us today when we needed him to, and that was great to see."
 
Club Northwest won the men's meet with 28 points. Western Washington was second with 70, and SPU took fifth with 110.

UP NEXT
For the first time since 2001 – the very first year of the conference – the Falcons will fly off to Alaska for the GNAC Championships, set for Saturday, Oct. 21 in Kincaid Park. The women's 6,000-meter race starts at noon Pacific time, followed by the men's 8K at 1:00 p.m.
 

NCAA WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Emerald City Open
Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023
6 kilometers at Lower Woodland Park / Seattle, Wash.
 
Team scores – 1, Western Washington 29; 2, Seattle Pacific 56; 3, Club Northwest 75; 4, Central Washington 101; 5, Seattle Running Club 104; 6, Lake Sammamish Running Club 178; 7, Olympic College 183.
 
Top 5 (official times were not made available) – 1, Annika Esvelt (SPU); 2, Emma Smith (WWU); 3, Lindsay Eysenbach (Club NW); 4, Maya Ewing (SPU); 5, Emmy Kroontje (WWU).
 
Other SPU – 14, Matise Mulch; 15, Anna Prussian; 26, Katelyn Flolo; 33, Nicki Yorges.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Emerald City Open
Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023
8 kilometers at Lower Woodland Park / Seattle, Wash.

Team scores – 1, Club Northwest 28; 2, Western Washington 70; 3, Lake Sammamish Running Club 72; 4, Central Washington 94; 5, Seattle Pacific 110; 6, Trolltown Trotters 162; 7, Seattle Running Club 199.
 
Top 5 – 1, Johan Correa (CWU) 25:07.5; 2, Mac Franks (Club NW) 25:30.7; 3,Colin Monaghan (Club NW) 26:01.5; 4, Will Mcgonigal (Club NW) 26:05.5; 5,Stan Brakstad (Lk. Sammamish) 26:19.8.
 
SPU – 6, Brennan LeBlanc 26:29.7; 21, Silas Demmert 27:38.3; 31, Isaac Venable 28:00.5; 36, Nathaniel Gale 28:32.8; 43, Gabe Endresen 28:59.5; Jonathan Lieb DNF.