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XC Set to Open Fall With WSU Open

by wsucougars.com
Aug 31, 2021

WSU OPEN
Wednesday, Sept. 1  |  Colfax, Wash.  |  Colfax Golf Club

Women's Race (4k)  |  5:15 p.m. (PT)
Men's Race (6k)  |  5:45 p.m. (PT)
 
LAST SEASON - SPRING 2021
The Washington State women's squad will look to pick up where they left off during the spring of 2021, after an impressive shortened season saw junior Erin Mullins qualify for the NCAA Cross Country National Championship. Mullins faced off against 256 of the best runners in the country from Stillwater, Okla. where she would place 123rd overall, posting a time of 21:41.5. Erin looks to the Cougs this fall season looking to make just vas big an impact as she did during the spring, where she led WSU during most races.

Mullins would anchor Washington State at both the Idaho Orchards Invitational placing fourth, and again at the Battle Born Collegiate Challenge placing 36th overall. Erin's final race before the NCAA Championships would be at the Pac-12 Championships where she placed 13th overall with a time of 19:56.90 and earned herself a Second Team All-Pac-12 selection with her impressive run.

"Erin truly had a breakout season and made so much improvement this year," Head Coach Wayne Phipps said. "She had an awesome race today, especially with it being her very first NCAA Championship race."

The WSU men will look to build upon an incredibly shortened 2020-21 cross country season, as the Cougars only competed in one race during the spring, the Pac-12 Championships. Leading the Cougs was Zach Stallings who turned in a top-20 performance, finishing 18th overall with a time of 23:30.3. Following Stallings was fellow returner Matthew Watkins who would go on to finish 27th overall, posting a time of 23:39.9 as well. Cooper Cortinas would go on to place 52nd overall at 25:05.1, and Kennan Schrag close behind finishing 54th overall with a time of 25:17.4. Rounding out the remainder of the Cougars included Jacob Easton placing 57th (25:30.3), Sam Griffith in 62nd (25:51.5), Ethan Martin in 65th (26:01.1), and finally Pascal Kleyer finishing 67th overall (26:21.7).

"The men also ran a very tough race," Coach Phipps continued. "Despite not running a few key people, this group dug-down and rallied to miss fifth place by only seven points. Zach Stallings continued his amazing winter of racing, moving up 11 places in the last loop to finish 18th. He will also be given strong consideration for an NCAA individual berth."

IN THE RANKINGS
The Washington State women will begin the fall season ranked fifth overall in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association West Region Preseason Poll. The men's squad will begin the year ranked seventh overall in the West Region also.

Both the women's and the men's teams are receiving votes in the USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll as the WSU women earned four votes, and the men with one total. 
 
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