Saturday, November 23
Madison, WI
7:20 a.m. PST (W) / 8:10 a.m. PST (M)
Gonzaga University
at
NCAA Championships
No. 20 Women's Cross Country, Wil Smith Lace up for NCAA Championships
11/20/2024 3:53:00 PM | Cross Country
Smith will make his fifth NCAA Championships appearance, becoming the first Bulldog to do so
#20 Gonzaga at NCAA Championships
SATURDAY, NOV. 23 | 7:20 AM PT | THOMAS ZIMMER CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE | MADISON, WIS.
Wil Smith at NCAA Championships
SATURDAY, NOV. 23 | 8:10 AM PT | THOMAS ZIMMER CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE | MADISON, WIS.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE RESULTS | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
STARTING LINES
SATURDAY, NOV. 23 | 7:20 AM PT | THOMAS ZIMMER CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE | MADISON, WIS.
Wil Smith at NCAA Championships
SATURDAY, NOV. 23 | 8:10 AM PT | THOMAS ZIMMER CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE | MADISON, WIS.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE RESULTS | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
STARTING LINES
- No. 20 women's cross country races at the NCAA Championships in Madison, Wis. this weekend.
- The #20 GU women will be making their second-ever nationals appearance and first since 2015.
- Last week, the Zags placed fourth at the NCAA West Regionals in Colfax to earn an at-large bid.
- Rosina Machu led the GU women with a fourth-place finish at regionals, finishing in 19:34.5.
- Willow Collins placed 21st in Colfax as her and Machu earned USTFCCCA All-West Region honors.
- Machu will be racing in her second NCAA Championships, tying the most by a Zag woman all-time.
- On Nov. 2, the Gonzaga women won their first West Coast Conference Championship since 2015.
- Machu won her second straight WCC individual title in Lodi, winning the 6K race by 18 seconds.
- Men's cross country will send Wil Smith to race as an individual at the NCAA Championships.
- Smith will be making his fifth nationals appearance, the first in Gonzaga program history to do so.
- Nationally, 20 individuals have raced at the NCAAs, and six more will join that list this weekend.
- At the NCAA West Regionals, Smith placed sixth to lead the GU men to a sixth-place team finish.
- The Gonzaga men placed their first six runners in the Top 50 amongst a loaded West Region field.
- GU just missed earning their fifth-straight nationals bid after four straight appearances ('20-'23).
- Smith, Drew Kolodge (24th), and Bryce Cerkowniak (25th) earned All-West Region nods on Friday.
- On Nov. 2, the GU men placed second at the WCC Championships, falling 15 points shy of Portland.
SCOUTING THE WOMEN'S NCAA FIELD
SCOUTING THE WOMEN'S NCAA FIELD
- Rosina Machu is currently ranked 15th in the country, according to FloTrack.com. She will look to become the first two-time All-American in GU Cross Country history.
- Florida's Hilda Olemomoi, Alabama's Doris Lemngole, and New Mexico's Pamela Kosgei are considered the top three favorites to win the NCAA title on Saturday.
- Lemngole is the reigning runner-up from last season, earning the silver behind Florida's Parker Valby.
- Olemomoi, who placed fourth for Alabama last year, is the current top-ranked individual and leader for Florida this season.
- BYU is the early favorite to win the team title, which would be their first since 2020. Oregon is also considered a major favorite to win on Saturday.
SCOUTING THE MEN'S NCAA FIELD
SCOUTING THE MEN'S NCAA FIELD
- Wil Smith is currently ranked 77th in the country, accoring to FloTrack.com. The Spokane-native will look to crack the Top 50 for the first time in his GU career.
- Harvard's Graham Blanks, New Mexico's Habtom Samuel, and Texas Tech's Solomon Kipchoge are considered the favorites to take home the individual NCAA crown.
- Blanks is the reigning NCAA Champion, earning the three-second victory over Samuel at last year's Championships in Charlottesville, Va.
- On the team side, BYU is considered the favorite to win it all. It would be their first NCAA Title since 2019. Oklahoma State looks to defend their 2023 title.
SMITH TO JOIN RARE COMPANY ON SATURDAY
SMITH TO JOIN RARE COMPANY ON SATURDAY
- With his at-large selection to the NCAA Championships, Wil Smith will race in the 10K championship race for the fifth time in his career.
- Smith is the first harrier to make five nationals appearances in Gonzaga history. Since 2016, there have been 20 others to appear five times. Six will join that list this season.
- Smith and Casey Clinger of BYU will become the first West Coast Conference runners to accomplish this feat on Saturday.
ABOUT THE COURSE
ABOUT THE COURSE
- The Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course opened in 2009 and has become the host of some of the country's top cross country events.
- Located adjacent to University Ridge Golf Course, UW's cross country course features an exterior loop of approximately 2,500 meters and an interior loop of 1,000 meters. Both loops cover the area's rolling hills and valleys, while the outside loop also runs through a section of dense woods, which are aflame with color in the fall.
- The course is built to accommodate race distances of 4K, 5K, 6K, 8K and 10K and features a wide starting area designed to host major championship events.
- Spectators enjoy outstanding elevated views of the entire course from a berm situated between the starting area and finishing chute. Numerous pedestrian trails and cutouts make it easy for spectators following the races to move freely throughout the course.
HISTORY AT THE NCAA WEST REGIONALS
HISTORY AT THE NCAA WEST REGIONALS
- The NCAA West Regionals return to Colfax for the first time since 2019.
- The Zag women placed fifth at the 2023 NCAA West Regionals.
- Their highest finish was a fourth-place in 2021, scoring 84 points.
- Kristen Garcia owns the highest-ever finish, placing third in 2021.
- The GU men placed second at the NCAA West Regionals last season.
- The Zag men look to earn their third-straight NCAA automatic bid.
- GU's lowest-ever point total was 92 back in 2022.
- Gonzaga has two second-place team finishes, a program high.
- James Mwaura's third-place finish in 2019 is the highest for the men.
THE LATEST POLLS
THE LATEST POLLS
- After a fifth-place finish at the NCAA West Regional, the Zag women jumped up one spot to No. 20 in the USTFCCCA National Poll.
- In an earlier poll this season, the Zags ranked a program-high 16th.
- FloTrack ranks the Zag women 17th and Machu 15th overall.
- In the West Region, the Gonzaga women finished fourth.
- The GU men opened the season ranked 30th in the nation.
- In the West Region, the Gonzaga men finished sixth.
ZAG WOMEN CROWNED WCC CHAMPIONS
ZAG WOMEN CROWNED WCC CHAMPIONS
- The Gonzaga women won their first WCC title since 2015, scoring 35 points and placing all five point-scorers in the Top 15.
- Gonzaga's point-scorers all finished within a 45-second spread.
- Four Zags earned First Team-All WCC, marking the most since 2000.
- Jade Rypkema was the lone Second Team All-WCC finisher, placing 14th.
- This is the third WCC Championship in women's program history.
MACHU DEFENDS WCC INDIVIDUAL TITLE
MACHU DEFENDS WCC INDIVIDUAL TITLE
- Rosina Machu won her second-straight WCC individual title, beating the field by 18 seconds and finishing in 19:45.3.
- Machu led wire-to-wire, continually building her lead.
- In 2023, Machu beat the WCC field by nearly 24 seconds.
- Machu's victory is the fourth of her GU Cross Country career.
GU MEN PLACE SECOND AT WCCS
GU MEN PLACE SECOND AT WCCS
- The Gonzaga men came up just short of defending their first-ever WCC title on Nov. 2 in Lodi, Calif.
- GU scored 42 points, falling short of #28 Portland (27 points).
- The Bulldogs placed their top six runners in the Top 15.
- Three Zags earned First Team and three earned Second Team All-WCC.
ROSINA'S RANKING
ROSINA'S RANKING
- FloTrack ranks Rosina Machu No. 5 in their latest NCAA DI Cross Country Individual rankings.
- Machu has seen rankings of #7, #10, #8, #6 and #5 this season.
- In the same rankings, Logan Hofstee is #123, Willow Collins is #124, Jessica Frydenlund is #152, and Anna Grabowski is #198.
ZAGS CLAIM SIX WCC RUNNER OF THE WEEK HONORS IN 2024
ZAGS CLAIM SIX WCC RUNNER OF THE WEEK HONORS IN 2024
- Ireland Robertson and Sean Janecko claimed the final WCC Runner of the Week honors on Oct. 28, the fifth and sixth for GU this season.
- Rosina Machu won two weekly honors during the season, the latest coming Oct. 22 after a fourth-place finish in College Station, Texas.
- Wil Smith earned the nod on Oct. 15 after placing ninth at the Bill Dellinger Invitational on Oct. 11, leading GU to a third-place finish.
- Anna Grabowski claimed her first-ever honor on Oct. 8 after winning the Whitman Invitational on Oct. 5.
- Machu was the first GU recipient of the season on Oct. 1, placing third at the Nuttycombe Invitational on Sept. 27 in Madison, Wis.
GONZAGA SWEEPS SASQUATCH INVITE
GONZAGA SWEEPS SASQUATCH INVITE
- For the fifth straight season, GU swept the Sasquate Invite.
- Ireland Robertson broke the Spokane Polo Club course record to earn the individual title in the women's 5K.
- The Gonzaga women moved up two spots in the Oct. 24 USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll to No. 16, marking their highest team ranking in program history.
- In the West Region, the Zag women ranked third, which ties their highest-ever ranking in that poll (Week 6 of 2021).
ZAG WOMEN WIN BARRIOS TITLE
ZAG WOMEN WIN BARRIOS TITLE
- In their final tune-up of the 2024 regular season, the GU women earned a team win at the Arturo Barrios Invitational on Oct. 18.
- Rosina Machu led the GU women with a fourth place finish, finishing in a program record time of 19:10.0.
- All five of Gonzaga's point-scorers earned a new top ten time in the program 6K record book, and all eight runners placed in the top 100 of a field of over 400 individuals.
NEW RECORD BOOK ENTRIES MADE IN TEXAS
NEW RECORD BOOK ENTRIES MADE IN TEXAS
- In their win at the Arturo Barrios Invitational on Oct. 18, five Zag women earned new program top ten times.
- Rosina Machu placed fourth and broke her previous record with a 19:10.0 finish. In addition, Willow Collins' 19:36.5 earned the second-fastest time, Logan Hofstee's 19:48.2 earned the fourth-fastest, Jessica Frydenlund's 19:58.4 moved her into sixth, and Jade Rypkema's 20:00.0 moved her into seventh.
BULLDOG MEN PLACE THIRD AT DELLINGER
BULLDOG MEN PLACE THIRD AT DELLINGER
- In their first appearance at the Bill Dellinger Invitational since 2021, the GU men placed third on Oct. 11 in Springfield, Ore.
- Wil Smith led the Bulldogs with a ninth-place individual finish, besting his previous time on the same course by ten seconds.
- GU defeated No. 25 Portland and finished just four points behind No. 22 Oregon in the team standings.
ZAGS SWEEP WHITMAN INVITATIONAL
ZAGS SWEEP WHITMAN INVITATIONAL
- No. 18/RV cross country earned a program-wide sweep at the Whitman Invitational on Oct. 5 in Walla Walla, Wash.
- The Zag women opened the meet with a podium sweep behind Anna Grabowski's (21:30.0) first collegiate race win.
- The Gonzaga men followed up with a win of their own behind leader Nick Braz (24:32.5) who placed third individually.
- The meet marked Gonzaga's fourth team win of the season and fourth individual win.
ZAGS MAKE HISTORY AT NUTTYCOMBE
ZAGS MAKE HISTORY AT NUTTYCOMBE
- No. 23 Gonzaga women's cross country earned their highest team finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational on Sept. 27.
- GU placed eighth behind Rosina Machu, who placed third to mark the highest individual finish in program history at that meet.
- Amidst the Bulldog women's eighth place were wins against No. 4 Oregon, No. 13 Lipscomb, No. 16 Virginia, and No. 22 Boston College.
- On the men's side, RV Gonzaga placed 17th to mark their highest team finish at Nuttycombe since 2021.
- The Zag men defeated three nationally-ranked teams in No. 23 Iona, No. 25 Montana State, and No. 29 Tulsa.
ZAG WOMEN SECURE COUGAR CLASSIC TITLE
ZAG WOMEN SECURE COUGAR CLASSIC TITLE
- The No. 25 Gonzaga women's cross country team brought an incomplete squad to the Cougar Classic on Sept. 13 and took home the team title, backed by four top-ten finishes including a second-place finish from freshman Logan Hofstee.
- Gonzaga scored 39 points, finishing ten points ahead of Boise State.
- Hofstee's second-place was the highest since Kristen Garcia and Claire Manley won back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2021.
ANOTHER NOTABLE ZAG DEBUT
ANOTHER NOTABLE ZAG DEBUT
- GU women's cross country's Logan Hoftsee placed second in her collegiate debut at the Cougar Classic on Sept. 13.
- Since 2021, a Gonzaga woman has placed first or second in her team debut race on three separate occasions.
- In 2021, Sadie Tuckwood won the Clash of the Inland Northwest in her first race. In 2023, Jessica Frydenlund was the Clash of the Inland Northwest champion, also winning her Gonzaga debut.
ANOTHER CLASH SWEEP
ANOTHER CLASH SWEEP
- For the second straight season, Gonzaga swept both individual and team titles in commanding fashion at the Clash of the Inland NW.
- Jade Rypkema led the Zag women to a perfect score of 15 with her first collegiate individual win, while Ryan Mitchell and Jerry Mackie earned the best time for the men, leading eight Zags in the top ten.
- The women have now won four team titles in five years, while the men have secured eight straight team titles.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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