By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
PARKLAND, Wash. -- Olivia Mancl (Jr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) of Willamette University took first place and teammate Taylor Ostrander (Sr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) earned second place in the women's 6-kilometer race at the 2015 Northwest Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31 at Pacific Lutheran University. The Bearcat women's team placed second.
Mancl recorded a winning time of 22:20 and was named NWC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year, while Ostrander crossed the finish line in 22:40. It was the second consecutive year that Mancl and Ostrander finished in the top two spots. A year ago, Ostrander won the race and Mancl was second, as both runners registered a time of 22:25.2.
It also was the third staight year that a Willamette runner has won the NWC women's race. In 2013, Michaela Freeby '15 placed first, while Ostrander was second and Mancl was seventh.
Following Mancl and Ostrander at this year's NWC Championships were three runners from Whitworth in third, fourth and fifth. Kellyn Roiko was third in 22:43 and Katie McKay took fourth in 22:52. Allison Wood placed fifth with a time of 23:02.
Stephanie Spencer of Pacific University finished in sixth place at 23:16. Taili Ni from University of Puget Sound placed seventh in 23:24. The top seven finishers received First Team All-NWC honors.
Whitworth earned the team title with a score of 31. Willamette was second at 46, Whitman College was third at 113, and Puget Sound placed fourth at 126. Linfield College was fifth at 149, while Lewis & Clark finished sixth at 156. George Fox University placed seventh at 182, with Pacific in eighth at 198 and Pacific Lutheran University in ninth at 204.
Also contributing to Willamette's team score were Hannah Swanson (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) in 10th place, Juliet Farnan (Sr., Lafayette, CA/Campolindo HS) in 15th place and Hannah Bressler (Sr., Oak Harbor, WA/Oak Harbor HS) in 19th. Swanson earned Second Team All-NWC recognition.
Swanson's time was 23:31. Farnan completed the course in 23:45 and Bressler recorded a time of 24:02. Ami Boucher (Jr., Concord, CA/Northgate HS) placed 23rd in 24:32 and Hazel Carr (Fr., Seattle, WA/The Northwest School) was 29th in 24:53.
Willamette will compete at the NCAA Division III West Regional on Saturday, Nov. 14 in Claremont, California. The Regional will be hosted by Occidental College at the Pomona College campus course.
