PORTLAND, Ore. – Coming off the best overall year of her career, Annika Esvelt is already looking as if she's ready to take it up another level.
 
The Seattle Pacific senior got her cross country season off to a solid start this past Saturday and has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Female Runner of the Week.
 
This is Esvelt's fourth Runner of the Week award for cross country. A total of four others won that many in their careers, In addition, there is one five-time winner, two six-time winners, and one – former SPU star Jessica Pixler – who won it 12 times.

Esvelt raced to a second-place finish in the Green River Invitational at Fort Steilacoom Park. She completed her 4 kilometers in 13 minutes, 8.6 seconds and was in front for a good chunk of the race.

 

"It was really fun – the perfect day for cross country," Esvelt said. "I wish I could have pulled off a win, but that's OK – it was still fun, and I'm really proud of my time. I was super-sore, but once you get out there, you forget about all of that.:
 
SPU assistant coach / distance coach Eric Hansen liked what he saw from his front-runner.
 
"Annika ran really aggressive early on. She had a great summer of training," he said. "Obviously, she showed up in just as good of shape as she was at the end of outdoor track. Getting back into racing mode might take one or two meets, but she looks as good as she has for the start of cross country season right now.".
 
During the 2023-24 school year, Esvelt enjoyed considerable success across all three running seasons. She was an All-GNAC and All-West Region selection in cross country, finishing third at conference and 20th at NCAA West Regionals.
 
During indoor track in the winter, she won the GNAC title in the 3000 meters and was 10^th at NCAAs in the 5000, earning second-team All-American status.
 
But it was during the spring when Esvelt really shined. She won the GNAC 5000, then ran to a silver medal in the NCAA 10,000. Just two days later, she came back for a seventh-place finish in the 5000 at nationals, making her a first-team All-American in both of those events.
 
The Falcons are off from competition this week. They will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Bill Roe Western Washington Classic in Ferndale. That meet, which will be at Hovander Homestead Park, will include six of the GNAC's 10 teams.