Men’s Cross Country Places Second at WCC Championships
11/2/2024 2:08:00 PM | Cross Country
Wil Smith placed third to lead six Zag men in the Top 15
LODI, Calif. – Gonzaga men's cross country came up just short in defending their first-ever West Coast Conference title on Saturday at Micke Grove Golf Links. The Zag men placed all five point-scorers in the Top 15, but fell to No. 28 Portland, who placed their first five all in the Top Ten.
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For the third-straight year, Wil Smith led the Bulldog men with a third-place finish, crossing the finish line in 23:16.0 to earn his third-consecutive First Team All-WCC honor. Bryce Cerkowniak placed sixth in 23:40.2 and Drew Kolodge placed eighth in 23:44, each earning First Team nods as well.
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Cooper Laird (12th, 24:00.3), Logan Law (13th, 24:06.3), and Paul Talens (14th, 24:06.5) finished in succession to mark a 50-second spread between the Zags' top six. Law, the 2023 Freshman of the Year, and Talens picked up their second-straight Second Team All-WCC honor, while Laird claimed the first nod of his Gonzaga career.
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Rounding out the Bulldog ten were Mason Kissell (18th, 24:22.0), Jacob Alfonso (19th, 24:27.0), Nick Braz (35th, 24:58.6), and Ryan Mitchell (37th, 25:03.0), as the Zags all notched Top 40 placements.
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Washington State's Evans Kurui claimed the individual crown in his freshman season for the Cougars, crossing in 22:52.0 to beat Portland's Matt Strangio (23:12.0) by 20 seconds. The Pilot men scored 27 points ahead of Gonzaga's 42 to capture their first WCC title since 2014.
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UP NEXT
The Zag men will look ahead to the NCAA West Regional Championships, which will take place in Colfax, Wash., on Nov. 15. GU has appeared in four-straight NCAA Championships and hopes to make it five later this month.
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Full results of the West Coast Conference Championships can be found HERE.
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For the third-straight year, Wil Smith led the Bulldog men with a third-place finish, crossing the finish line in 23:16.0 to earn his third-consecutive First Team All-WCC honor. Bryce Cerkowniak placed sixth in 23:40.2 and Drew Kolodge placed eighth in 23:44, each earning First Team nods as well.
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Cooper Laird (12th, 24:00.3), Logan Law (13th, 24:06.3), and Paul Talens (14th, 24:06.5) finished in succession to mark a 50-second spread between the Zags' top six. Law, the 2023 Freshman of the Year, and Talens picked up their second-straight Second Team All-WCC honor, while Laird claimed the first nod of his Gonzaga career.
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Rounding out the Bulldog ten were Mason Kissell (18th, 24:22.0), Jacob Alfonso (19th, 24:27.0), Nick Braz (35th, 24:58.6), and Ryan Mitchell (37th, 25:03.0), as the Zags all notched Top 40 placements.
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Washington State's Evans Kurui claimed the individual crown in his freshman season for the Cougars, crossing in 22:52.0 to beat Portland's Matt Strangio (23:12.0) by 20 seconds. The Pilot men scored 27 points ahead of Gonzaga's 42 to capture their first WCC title since 2014.
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UP NEXT
The Zag men will look ahead to the NCAA West Regional Championships, which will take place in Colfax, Wash., on Nov. 15. GU has appeared in four-straight NCAA Championships and hopes to make it five later this month.
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Full results of the West Coast Conference Championships can be found HERE.
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Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
Saturday, October 03
Saturday, October 03
Monday, September 28
Tuesday, June 30
