HILLSBORO, Ore. – Following a 2020-21 athletic season and academic year like no other, men’s cross country returns to the Northwest Conference (NWC) beginning Wednesday, September 1. All nine teams are set to return to action in 2021 after the official NWC cross country season was cancelled for the Fall of 2020.
George Fox has been selected as the Northwest Conference frontrunner for the 2021 season, as voted on by conference head coaches. The Bruins earned 63 points and seven first-place votes. Pacific Lutheran ranks second in the poll with 58 points and two first-place votes.
Whitworth takes the third spot on the list with 44 points, while Lewis & Clark received 40 points to rank fourth. Whitman earned 35 points to rank fifth followed by Pacific’s (Ore.) 28 points to land them at sixth. Puget Sound (24 pts.), Willamette (21 pts.) and Linfield (11 pts) round out the poll.
Linfield will host the NWC Championship Saturday, October 30
th.
Below are key returners and players to watch from each team as well as statistical highlights and NWC accolades from 2019.
KEY RETURNERS/PLAYERS TO WATCH
George Fox
Timothy Kaelin | SR | Qualified for NCAA DIII West Region Cross Country Championships… PR of 18:44.4 (6k) at Ash Creek Invitational… PR of 16:30 (5k) at Big Wave Invitational |
2019 First-Team All-NWC
Peter Weiss | JR |Qualified for NCAA DIII West Region Cross Country Championships… PR of 16:37 (5k) at Big Wave Invitational |
2019 First-Team All-NWC
Trevor Wilber | JR | Qualified for NCAA DIII West Region Cross Country Championships… PR of 26:06.9 (8k) at Lewis & Clark invite… PR of 19:41.8 (6k) at Ash Creek Invitational… PR of 17:21 (5k) at Big Wave Invitational |
2019 Second-Team All-NWC
Lewis & Clark
Jack Hyde | SR | 2019: Set an all-time best in his only race of the season with a time of 31:30.9 at the NWC Championships on Nov. 2.
Connor Robertson | SR | 2019: Placed among the top 100 at the NCAA Div. III West Regional on Nov. 16... Set an all-time best (28:30.5) at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Oct. 5... Ran his best 6K all-time (24:11.4) at the Linfield Harrier Classic on Aug. 30
Linfield
John Christian | JR | 2019: Season best in the 8K came at the NWC Championships, with a time of 27:43.6… Ran best time of 20:25.8 in the 6K race at the Ash Creek Festival… Recorded time of 16:56.5 in the 5K at the Stumptown Race
Evan Kern | JR | 2019: Recorded best time in the 8K of 29:33.7 at the Charles Bowles Invitational… Ran a time of 22:08.9 in the 6K race at the Ash Creek Festival… Season best time of 17:59.2 in the 5K came at the Stumptown Race
Pacific
Riley Stewart | SR | 2019: 61st (27:42.8) at the NCAA DIII West Regional Championships (Nov. 16, 2019)… 18th (26:37.3) at the Northwest Conference Championships (Nov. 2, 2019)… 58th (27:13.4) at the Lewis and Clark Invitational (Oct. 19, 2019) … 73rd (26:50.3) at the 45th Charles Bowles Willamette Invite (Oct. 5, 2019)… 67th (27:10.6) at the Western Oregon Sundowner Invite (Sept. 20, 2019)… 38th (20:29.9 - 6k) at the 2nd Annual Viking Rust Buster (Sep.7, 2019)… 17th (21:52.6 - 6k) at the Linfield Harrier Classic (Aug. 30, 2019)
Garret Stewart | SR | 2019: 106th (30:44.1) at the NCAA DIII West Regional Championships (Nov. 16, 2019)… 67th (29:34.2) at the Northwest Conference Championships (Nov. 2, 2019)… 107th (29:50) at the Lewis and Clark Invitational (Oct. 19, 2019)… 135th (29:41.1) at the 45th Charles Bowles Willamette Invite (Oct. 5, 2019)… 101st (30:24.30 - 8k) at the Western Oregon Sundowner Invite (Sept. 20, 2019)… 54th (23:05.50 - 6k) at the 2nd Annual Viking Rust Buster (Sep. 7, 2019)… 26th (24:22.0 - 6k) at the Linfield Harrier Classic (Aug. 30, 2019)
Pacific Lutheran
Hezekiah Goodwin | SR | Competed in five races for the Lutes… Ran a season-best time of 26:26.3 at the NWC and competed at the West Regional
Daniel Samson | SR | Competed in five races for the Lutes… Ran a season-best time of 27:03.0 at the NWC
Ryan Stracke | JR | Competed in six races for the Lutes… Ran a season-best time of 26:04.3 at the NWC and competed in the West Regional |
2019 Second-Team All-NWC
Puget Sound
Cody DeWitt | SR | 2019: DeWitt placed 24th overall in the 8k with a time of 29:57.82 at the Puget Sound Invitational at Fort Steilacoom Park (Sept. 1)... During the Viking Rust Buster at Portland State, DeWitt was the second Logger to cross the finish line at 5:32.8 (Sept. 7)... DeWitt placed 48th in the PLU Invitational 8k, crossing the finish line in 28:18.10 (Sept. 21)... During the Charles Bowles Invitational hosted by Willamette, DeWitt was the second Logger to cross the finish line in 27:10.0 (Oct. 5)... In the Lewis & Clark Invitational at Mclver Park DeWitt placed 50th overall crossing the 8k finish line in 26:55.1 (Oct. 19) |
2019 Second-Team All-NWC
Colin Monaghan | SR | 2019 NWC Champion... 2019 NWC Runner of the Year… Monaghan placed first in the 8k with a finishing time of 25:32.91 during the Puget Sound Invitational at Fort Steilacoom Park (Sept. 1)... During the Viking Rust Buster at Portland State, Monaghan placed fourth out of 57 runners in the 6k race timing in at 18:28.2 (Sept. 7)... Monaghan placed 1st in the PLU Invitational 8k, crossing the finish line in 25:20.40 (Sept. 21)... During the Charles Bowles Invitational hosted by Willamette Monaghan was the first to cross the finish line in 24:37.5 (Oct. 5)... In the Lewis & Clark Invitational at Mclver Park Monaghan beat 118 runners and took 1st place crossing the 8k finish line in 24:45.9 (Oct. 19) |
2019 First-Team All-NWC
Whitman
Tucker Grinnan | SR | 2019: Competed in five races... Top finish came at the PLU Invitational (26:51, 17th)... Placed 29th at NWC Championships (26:59)... Placed 70th at the NCAA West Regional (28.04)
Holden Hillis | JR | 2019: Competed in four races...best finish came at the PLU Invitational (28:54, 60th)... Competed at NWC Championships (28:47, 62nd)
James Klinman | SR | 2019: Competed in six races...top finish was at the NWC Championships (27:04, 32nd)... Competed at NCAA Regional (29:09, 97th)
Whitworth
Gabriel Meek | SR | 2019: Competed in seven races… Competed at NCAA Regional (28:19.3, 77
th)… Placed 35
th at the NWC Championships
Joel Mott | JR | 2019: Competed in seven races… Competed at NCAA Regional (26:22.7, 26
th)… Placed 7
th at the NWC Championships |
2019 First-Team All-NWC
Aidan Smith | SO | 2019: Competed in seven races… Competed at NCAA Regional (27:54.7, 66th)… Placed 8
th at the NWC Championships |
2019 Second-Team All-NWC
Willamette
Carson Herrick | SR | 2019: Earned his top 8-kilometer time at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational in 27:29.2... Competed in a total of five meets in 2019, including the NWC Championships
Alex Matteson | SR | 2019: Ran at the NWC Championships and the NCAA West Regional in 2019
Gabriel Regimbal | JR | 2019: Ran for the Bearcats at six meets in 2019... Earned a top 8K time of 26:58.6 at Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational... Competed at the NWC Championships and the NCAA West Regional
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first place votes)
| Team |
Pts. |
2019 NWC Finish |
| George Fox (7) |
63 |
1st |
| Pacific Lutheran (2) |
58 |
2nd |
| Whitworth |
44 |
4th |
| Lewis & Clark |
40 |
3rd |
| Whitman |
35 |
5th |
| Pacific (Ore.) |
28 |
8th |
| Puget Sound |
24 |
7th |
| Willamette |
21 |
6th |
| Linfield |
11 |
9th |
For the complete 2021 NWC men’s cross country schedule, click
here.