In just six days, both the men’s and women’s cross-country teams will be heading into the Big Sky Championships, ready to fight once again.
In the Big Sky standings, the Vandals men’s and women’s cross-country team is fourth with an overall record of 4-2. The Vandals need to defeat three other competitors to take first place.
In a Twitter post on Oct. 8, Tim Cawley, Director of Track and Field/Cross-Country, emphasized that the teams should relish the race and keep up the good work entering into the Big Sky Championship.
“I think a big part of what we teach here and talk about is just enjoying the process,” Cawley said. “My expectation for them is to just keep the process going like they have been doing because it’s been outstanding this year.”
With that said, let’s take a walk-down memory lane of the teams’ progress heading into the championships.
The teams started their season at their neighboring competitor’s home—Washington State University. Senior Kelsey Swenson from the women’s team kicked off the season with a personal best time of 13:24, placing her in first place. Followed by freshman Abigail Thomas in sixth with a time of 14:18.
For the Vandal men, senior Tim Stevens finished in third place with a time of 18:13. Senior Gabriel Dinnel and freshman Zac Knapp followed in fourth and fifth place.
With a strong start, the Vandals traveled around 1,464 miles to the 36th annual Roy Griak invite where Vandal women finished in 10th and Vandal men in 14th.
Swenson finished with a time of 21:12 at 11th place, while Stevens led the men’s team and finished in 48th place with a time of 25:10.
Swenson from the Vandal women’s teams and Stevens from the men’s team have been doing exceptionally well this season.
Swenson has soared high throughout her career, as she achieved fifth place in the 10,000 meter 2022 Big Sky Outdoor Championships, second place in the 5000 meter 2020 Big Sky Championships, and fifth in the 3000 meter 2020 Big Sky Championships.
Stevens has shown that he’s a force to be reckoned with as he placed third in the DMR 2020 Big Sky Indoor Championships, fifth place during the 2022 Big Sky Indoor Championships, and eighth in the 1500 meter 2021 Big Sky Championships.
Both teams ended their last game before the Big Sky Championships in first place.
Junior Maya Kobylanski, Swenson and graduate student Nathalia Campos swept the first three positions with Kobylanski leading the Vandal women with a time of 16:35.
Junior Lorenz Herrmann, Dinnel, junior Shea Mattson, junior Sam Fulbright and Stevens took the top five positions as Herrmann led the team with a time of 24:05.
Keep an eye out for the Vandal men’s and women’s cross-country team during the Big Sky Championships happening at Fairways Golf Course in Cheney, Washington on Oct. 28.
Moeka Shimizu can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @moekashimizu_