Pac-12 to crown cross country champions on Friday
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | LIVE RESULTS | PAC-12 CROSS COUNTRY HISTORY
The first Pac-12 team and individual champions of the 2023-24 academic year will be crowned on Friday, as the Pac-12 Cross Country Championships are coming to Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Wash. The meet is hosted by the University of Washington.
Championship Schedule (All times PT)
7:45am – Venue/Course Opens
10:00am – Coverage Begins on Pac-12 Networks for Men's Championship 8k Race
10:10am – Men’s Championship 8k Race
11:00am – Coverage Begins on Pac-12 Networks for Women's Championship 6k Race
11:10am – Women’s Championship 6k Race
12:00pm – Awards Ceremony
Television Coverage
The Pac-12 Cross Country Championships will broadcast live across Pac-12 Networks, featuring commentators Jim Watson and Tom Feuer. Coverage of the men’s 8k championship race will kick off at 10 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. MT with and the women’s 6k broadcast follows at 11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT, with all action airing on Pac-12 Network and all six regional networks. Both races will also be available to authenticated subscribers via the Pac-12 Now app and Pac-12.com.
Programming Schedule – 2023 Pac-12 Cross Country Championships
| Date | Race | Time | Where to Watch | Broadcasters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 27 | Men's 8k | 10a PT / 11a MT | Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Now | Jim Watson, Tom Feuer |
| Women's 6k | 11a PT / 12p MT | Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Now | Jim Watson, Tom Feuer |
Course Description – Chambers Creek Regional Park
This 930-acre site includes over two miles of saltwater shoreline, two and a half miles of urban creek and canyon, and breathtaking mountain and Puget Sound views. Chambers Creek Regional Park is located within the City of University Place, immediately north of the Town of Steilacoom. The park is approximately 20 minutes from Interstate 5.
Parking Information
A map to assist with parking instructions can be found here.
- From 64th St. SW, head south on Chambers Creek Road W
- In 0.8 miles, turn right onto a private road
- Keep left, then continue straight for 0.2 miles
- Turn left, and you will arrive at parking to your right
Championships Return to Washington
The 2023 Pac-12 Cross Country Championships mark the seventh time the event has been held in the state of Washington and first time since 2020, where Chambers Creek Regional Park was also utilized as the host venue.
- 2023: Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Wash.
- 2020: Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Wash.
- 2015: Colfax Golf and Country Club in Colfax, Wash.
- 2010: Jefferson Golf Course in Seattle
- 2000: Lincoln Park in Seattle, Wash.
- 1972: Seattle, Wash.
- 1970: WSU Golf Course in Pullman, Wash.
Stanford’s men and women have had impressive success in the previous Conference Meets hosted by the University of Washington or located in the Seattle area, sweeping the 2020, 2010, and 2000 team titles. Stanford’s only defeat in Seattle was on the men’s side in 1972, a team victory for Washington State.
Men’s Championship Preview
A pair of Pac-12 men’s programs were ranked in the most recent United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll ahead of the Conference Championships in No. 9 Colorado and No. 25 Stanford.
The eight-time Pac-12 Champion Buffs are coming off a seventh-place finish at the prestigious Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisc., on Oct. 13, which saw freshman Isaiah Givens lead the squad with a 24th-place finish and a time of 23:54.5 on the 8k course. Stanford, the defending Pac-12 Champion, is led by senior Ky Robinson who finished fourth at Nuttycombe and is coming off national titles in the 5000m and 10,000m on the track last season. Star freshmen twins Lex and Leo Young have also toed the line in their debut seasons for the Cardinal, with Lex crossing as Stanford’s third finisher at Nuttycombe at 86th overall.
Notably, a victory for Stanford would give the program the most men's cross country titles (17) in league history, surpassing Oregon (16).
Perennial powerhouse programs Oregon and Washington received votes in the recent rankings and look to strike on Friday morning. The Oregon men and head coach Jerry Schumacher are back and seeking their first team title since 2008, while the Washington feature a roster headlined by a trio of NCAA champions in track & field: Nathan Green (2023 outdoor; 1500m), Luke Houser (2023 indoor; mile), and Joe Waskom (2022; 1500m).
The Stanford men placed all of its scoring five in the top seven to secure a resounding team win on the men’s side in 2022, led by individual champion Charles Hicks who won his second-straight league title. The men’s championship race will feature a new individual winner for the first time since 2020 as Hicks has moved on to the professional ranks. Teams will look to knock off the collective strength of Oregon, Stanford, and Colorado, who have combined to produce the men’s individual championship in each of the last 10 years.
Women’s Championship Preview
A total of six Pac-12 programs are ranked on the current USTFCCCA poll, the most of any conference in the nation. The Pac-12 contingent is led by No. 5 Stanford, followed by No. 9 Oregon State, No. 14 Oregon, No. 19 Washington, No. 20 Colorado, and No. 21 Utah.
The Cardinal has benefited from the emergence of freshman Amy Bunnage, the Melbourne, Australia native who has a pair of top-13 finishes already this season. Oregon State vaulted an impressive 21 spots in the rankings to No. 9 in the country after a strong performance at Nuttycombe, as All-American Kaylee Mitchell (fifth place) and 2023 Pac-12 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year Grace Fetherstonhaugh (22nd place) led the Beavs to a seventh-place finish in Madison. A team victory for Oregon State on Friday would be the first in program history.
The Ducks enter Friday’s Championship Meet looking for their first conference team title since 2018; Eugene native Maddy Elmore toes the line after crossing as Oregon’s first scorer at the Dellinger Invite earlier in the year, finishing seventh overall on the 6k course. Sophie O’Sullivan is set to go for Washington after competing in a pair of regular-season meets; the junior from Melbourne, Australia notched the third-fastest collegiate 1500m mark of all-time (4:02.15) at the World Championships last season, competing for Ireland.
The Colorado women picked up their second-straight league title led by individual champion Bailey Hertenstein. The Buffs earned the victory off a tiebreaker with Utah, denying the Utes their first-ever Conference title. Utah was led on the day by runner-up Emily Venters, who would go on to earn All-America honors in cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field later in the season.
Get Pac-12 Networks
All Pac-12 Networks coverage can be seen on Pac-12 Network, the Pac-12 Now app (for iOS, Android and Apple TV) or the appropriate regional channel. Pac-12 Networks subscribers have access to all seven HD channels via the Pac-12 Now app. More information on the multiple options to access and receive Pac-12 Networks anywhere in the United States is available at GetPac12Networks.com. Additional coverage of the 2023-24 season for all Pac-12 sports can be followed all year long across the Pac-12 and Pac-12 Networks’ digital and social media channels on Pac-12.com, Twitter (@Pac12Network and @Pac12), Facebook (facebook.com/Pac12Conference), Instagram (@Pac12Conference), TikTok (Pac12Network) and Pac-12 Networks’ YouTube channel.
Pac-12 Now App
All broadcasts are also available in HD via the Pac-12 Now app (for iOS, Android, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV). For more information and to see a list of the multiple options to access Pac-12 Networks anywhere across the United States, please visit GetPac12Networks.com.