By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Zoe Heino (So., Portland, OR/Mountainside HS) was the top finisher for the Bearcats on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the 48th Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational, as she placed 56th overall and 48th among scorers. Heino registered a time of 18:59.4 on the 5-kilometer course at Bush's Pasture Park. The women's race included 223 competitors.
Heino's result helped the Bearcats place 15th in the team standings out of 23 colleges and universities. Also ranked for Willamette in the top 90 scorers were Anna Bikle (So., Woodside, CA/Half Moon Bay HS) and Anastasiia Lemesh (So., Chernihiv, Ukraine). Bikle earned a time of 19:39.7 for 85th place overall and 72nd among scorers. Lemesh was timed at 19:48.7 for 102nd place overall and 88th place among scorers.
Morgan Shaw (Fy., Redmond, OR/Ridgeview HS) and Aven Roberts (Fy., Missoula, MT/Hellgate HS) also contributed to the Bearcats' team score. Shaw was 124th overall and 106th among scorers, while Roberts placed 135th overall and 116th among scorers.
Other Willamette runners competing in the women's race were Leila Fischer (Jr., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS), Maya Garcia Schafer (Fy., Salem, OR/West Salem HS), Grace Kosmicki (So., Pocatello, ID/Highland HS), and Leilani Luu (So., Colorado Springs, CO/Pine Creek HS). Fischer achieved a time of 20:48.5, while Garcia Schafer was timed at 20:57.2. Kosmicki recorded a time of 21:12.9 and Luu completed the course in 22:04.3.
Sage Martin from the College of Idaho won the individual title to lead a 1-2 finish by the Yotes. Martin registered a time of 17:17.9 and was followed by teammate Abby Shirts in second place at 17:20.2 Unattached runner Hannah Clarizio was third at 17:22.2 and Fleur Templier, also running attached, was fourth at 17:23.7. Azalea Groleau of Seattle University placed fifth at 17:25.5. Ellyse Tingelstad from C of I was sixth in a time of 17:26.3. Emilie Langschwager from the University of Hawaii was seventh in 17:27.0.
With four runners in the top 15 and all five scorers in the top 45, the College of Idaho grabbed the team championship with a score of 62 (1-2-4-12-43). Seattle was second at 84 (3-10-14-26-31) and Oregon State University followed in third at 102. Hawaii placed fourth at 124 and the University of Texas at San Antonio was fifth at 131.
The Bearcats will run at the George Oja Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 14. The meet, hosted by Linfield University, will be held at Oak Knoll Golf Course just west of Salem. Action is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. PDT.
