Arizona Cross Country Finishes the Season Strong at the Western Regionals
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – The University of Arizona Cross Country men finished 14th, while the women finished 20th, in a very competitive field at the NCAA Western Regional Championships on Friday.
"Our team did amazing," said Head Coach Bernard Lagat. "The men did an amazing job. They were number 14 out of 31 teams, and our women finished 20th out of 35 teams. This is a young team, and a team that is still rising, so we know we will be here again next year. We want to finish among the top and our athletes today, both the men and women, showed that they are ready."
Grace Driskill led the way for the ladies, finishing first for the team in the 6k with a time of 20:34.8. Alisa Lyesina ran a 20:43.4 to end as the team's second runner. She was followed by Sailor Hutton, who ran a 20:50.4, to finish third for the team. Brigid Hanley's new PR time of 21:07.8 propelled her to finish as the Wildcats' fourth runner. Johnnie Mitchell (22:04.7) and Peyton Heiden (22:07.1) rounded out the team's finishers.
Ian Sanchez Lopez was the top finisher for the men's squad in his first 10k with a time of 29:55.6. He was followed closely by his brother, Iker Sanchez Lopez, who ran a 29:57.4 to finish second for the team. Cooper Quigley also had a strong finish, running a 30:17.2 to finish as the team's third runner. Noah Jodon (31:04.9) and Brennan Foody (31:14.8) finished fourth and fifth for the Wildcats. Additionally, Logan Marek ran a 31:42.0 and Jeffrey Sillers ran a 32:05.9.
Both races were highly competitive with deep fields of over 30 teams each. The men, led by a late push from their top runners, finished 14th out of 31 teams with a score of 476. The women, who also had a strong finish, placed 20th out of 35 competitors with a score of 551.
"This is the end of the season for us, and it's been a great ride," added Coach Lagat. "We had all the new and young athletes do an amazing job, so we know we will be back. It's exciting too because we learned so much and the athletes are still young. One thing that I know is that they believe in themselves, and they are a great team that is going to show out next year."
NEXT UP
This marks the end of Arizona's Cross Country season, but the distance group will be back on Jan. 20, 2023, to start the Indoor Track & Field season with the Lumberjack Team Challenge in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Women's 6k Results
70. Grace Driskill - 20:34.8
85. Alisa Lyesina - 20:43.4
95. Sailor Hutton - 20:50.4
114. Brigid Hanley - 21:07.8
192. Johnnie Mitchell - 22:04.7
196. Peyton Heiden - 22:07.1
Men's 10k Results
65. Ian Sanchez Lopez - 29:55.6
68. Iker Sanchez Lopez - 29:57.4
89. Cooper Quigley - 30:17.2
125. Noah Jodon - 31:04.9
139. Brennan Foody - 31:14.8
166. Logan Marek - 31:42.0
185. Jeffrey Sillers - 32:05.9
Women's Team Scores
| 1. Stanford – 76 | 10. Idaho – 319 | 19. St. Mary's (Cal.) – 546 | 28. UC Riverside – 764 |
| 2. Oregon – 96 | 11. Cal Poly – 342 | 20. Arizona – 551 | 29. Sacramento St. – 847 |
| 3. Washington – 114 | 12. Washington St. – 353 | 21. Grand Canyon – 567 | 30. Hawaii – 899 |
| 4. Oregon St. – 150 | 13. UCLA – 368 | 22. Cal St. Fullerton – 568 | 31. San Diego – 957 |
| 5. CBU – 150 | 14. UC Irvine – 398 | 23. California – 674 | 32. Loyola Marymount – 999 |
| 6. Boise St. – 159 | 15. UC Davis – 402 | 24. East. Washington – 705 | 33. Pepperdine – 1010 |
| 7. Gonzaga – 230 | 16. Portland State – 403 | 25. Long Beach St. – 711 | 34. CSUN – 1044 |
| 8. San Francisco – 258 | 17. UC Santa Barbara – 449 | 26. San Diego St. – 763 | 35. UNLV - 1075 |
| 9. Portland - 292 | 18. Santa Clara - 515 | 27. Arizona St. - 763 |
Men's Team Scores
| 1. Stanford – 45 | 10. UCLA – 281 | 19. Cal St. Fullerton – 546 | 28. Sacramento St. – 799 |
| 2. Gonzaga – 92 | 11. Portland St. – 300 | 20. UC Irvine – 569 | 29. San Diego – 811 |
| 3. Washington – 105 | 12. Washington St. – 415 | 21. California – 618 | 30. Pepperdine – 824 |
| 4. Oregon – 141 | 13. Loyola Marymount - 423 | 22. UC Davis – 662 | 31. Seattle U. - 846 |
| 5. CBU – 145 | 14. Arizona – 476 | 23. East. Washington – 678 | |
| 6. Boise St. – 146 | 15. UC Santa Barbara – 480 | 24. San Francisco – 683 | |
| 7. Portland – 156 | 16. Idaho – 488 | 25. St. Mary's (Cal.) -705 | |
| 8. Cal Poly - 198 | 17. UC Riverside – 508 | 26. Long Beach St. – 727 | |
| 9. Santa Clara - 235 | 18. Arizona St. - 537 | 27. CSUN - 767 |
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