Championship Central | Watch onTheW.tv | Entries | Results
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara cross country is set to participate in the first West Coast Conference Championship of the 2015-16 year on Halloween Day. The Bronco men and women will compete against strong opposition in their nine WCC foes at Plantes Ferry Sports Stadium in Spokane, Wash.
Saturday's event begins with the women's 6k race at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 8k race at 11 a.m.
"Training sessions in the last few weeks have really improved, and for the first time in years, we are sending squads that are nearly 100 percent healthy," head coach Felipe Montoro said. "We have been preparing all year for the course and conditions at Plantes Ferry, and I am confident that our athletes are ready for the challenge."
Women's 6k
Santa Clara Lineup: Camille Dyer, Mary Kriege, Kaitlyn Kuehn, Heather LaPlante, Allison Maio, Allison Martinez, Bevin McCullough, Grayson Murphy, Elsa Valenzuela
Murphy has led the women's team in all four of her races this season, including posting the second-fastest 6k time in program history (20:46.4) at the Bronco Invitational. She led Santa Clara with a time of 21:31 to finish in 33rd place overall at last year's conference meet.
Kriege returns to the conference championships for the fourth time in her career after redshirting last season.
BYU is the lone nationally-ranked team in the field at No. 14 in the latest USTFCCCA poll. The Cougars are ranked third in the Mountain Region, while four teams are ranked in the West Region: Gonzaga (7), San Francisco (9), Portland (11) and Loyola Marymount (12).
The Cougars won last year's meet to end San Francisco's stretch of five straight conference championships.
Men's 8k
Santa Clara Lineup: Joey Berriatua, Austin Blankenship, Aaron Brumbaugh, Will Burschinger, Bryan Crook, Ryan Greenough, Evan Misuraca, Jack Prazich, Noah Westfall
Berriatua, Crook, Greenough and Westfall return to the WCC meet alongside five newcomers for the Broncos. Crook finished in 27th place overall with an 8k time of 24:22.9 at last year's conference championships.
Crook owns the second-fastest 8k time in program history (24:06.5) and Berriatua is No. 5 on the school's 8k Top 10 list (24:25). Both runners posted their record times at this year's Bronco Invitational.
BYU enters the event ranked No. 4 in the latest USTFCCCA poll, and Portland received 13 votes to land just outside the Top 30. The Cougars and Pilots have traded conference titles in the last four seasons; Portland is the reigning champion and also won the 2012 title while BYU claimed the conference crown in 2011 and 2013.
The Cougars are ranked second in the Mountain Region. Teams ranked in the West Region include Portland (6), San Francisco (10) and Gonzaga (12).
"Our best individuals will be looking to mix it up in the front and our packs are ready to compete with the bulk of the scorers from the teams we need to beat to reach our potential," Montoro said. "Ultimately, that is all I am looking for, our runners giving everything they have to run to their fitness and ability."
Go Broncos!