[
Individual Results] [
Team Results]
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - First-year runner
Sara Falconer was the top finisher on the day for the Alaska Nanooks women's cross country team as they finished 11th at the 39th Annual Western Cross Country Invitational on Saturday morning in Bellingham.
Alaska Anchorage won the highly-competitive women's team event with 41 points, while the University of British Columbia finished second (57 points) and Simon Fraser was third (85 points).
"We stressed with the runners that we wanted to train through this race because the goal is to run fast in two weeks (at the GNAC meet)," said interim head coach Matt Dunlap. "Considering that we ran a good race today; there were several personal records that were set so that was good to see."
Falconer crossed the finish line in 25 minutes and four seconds, good for 66th place. Junior Heidi O'Connor-Brook finished second for the Blue and Gold in 26:48 (100th) and senior Megan Thompson was next in 27:14 (103rd). Rookies Ema Mayo (114th, 29:07) and Victoria Frehill (117th, 29:43) rounded out the scoring team.
Dunlap added, "the results might not show it, but there were a lot of positive things that came out of today's race. The group worked and trained hard coming into it, got engaged early and took advantage of the racing opportunity and "
Junior Alyson McPhetres was scheduled to run but was battling a sinus infection and opted to sit out and rest.
The Nanooks return home to train for two weeks before heading to the GNAC Championships being hosted by Western Oregon in Monmouth on Oct. 20. The women will run a 6K at 10 a.m. AKT.
