By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

HILLSBORO, Ore. -- William Hennum (So., Philomath, OR/Liberty HS, Nev.) from Willamette University placed 14th in the men's 8-kilometer race to secure Second Team All-Northwest Conference honors at the 2022 NWC Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Killarney West Golf Course. Hennum completed the race in 25:11.7. The top seven finishers in each race received First Team All-NWC recognition while those placing eighth through 14th were named Second Team All-NWC.

Zoe Heino (Fy., Portland, OR/Mountainside HS) was the Bearcats' top runner in the women's 6-kilometer race. She crossed the finish line in 19th place with a time of 22:53.4

Willamette was seventh in the women's team standings and seventh in the men's team standings. George Fox won the women's team championship with a score of 26 (1-2-6-8-9. George Fox also grabbed the men's team championship by posting a score of 38 (4-6-7-10-11).

Also competing for Willamette in the men's race in addition to Hennum were Jay Chew (Fy., Elk Grove, CA/Laguna Creek HS), Milo Greenberg (Jr., Seattle, WA/The Northwest School), Gilbert Sanchez Torres (Fy., Citrus Heights, CA/Bella Vista HS), Joshua Evans (So., Lafayette, CA/Acalanes HS), and Ian Curtis (Sr., Eugene, OR/South Eugene HS). Chew achieved 39th place in 26:14.5. Greenberg was 50th in 26:37.2 and Sanchez Torres soon followed in 51st place at 26:43.6. Evans was timed at 27:45.6 and Curtis completed the race in 28:12.8.

Ryan Stracke from Pacific Lutheran University won his second consecutive NWC men's title with a time of 24:02.4. Ben Kerr from the University of Puget Sound placed second in 24:05.0, just 2.6 seconds out of the lead and narrowly in front of Logan Werner of PLU, who was third in 24:05.02. Caden Hildenbrand of George Fox was fourth in 24:12.0 and Max Aldrich from Lewis & Clark College achieved fifth place in 24:16.2. Also earning First Team All-NWC honors were Austin Gappa and Adam Petersen from GFU. Gappa earned sixth place at 24:22.7 and Petersen was seventh at 24:24.2.

In the women's race, Heino placed just three places in front of teammate Anna Bikle (Fy., Woodside, CA/Half Moon Bay HS), who attained 22nd place in 23:11.9. Other runners for the Bearcats were Aven Roberts (Fy., Missoula, MT/Hellgate HS), Leila Fischer (Jr., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS), JJ Chatham (Fy., Jackson, Wyoming/Jackson Hole HS), Grace Kosmicki (Fy., Pocatello, ID/Highland HS), and Melissa Duncan (Jr., Canyon Country, CA/Canyon HS). Roberts ran the course in 24:28.1 to take 41st overall. Fisher was 48th in 24:58.0, while Chathan was 49th at 25:04.4. Kosmicki registered a time of 25:198.3 and Duncan was timed at 25:21.4.

Brenna Sclair of George Fox claimed the women's individual championship with a time of 21:33.2. Kayla Aalpoel, also from GFU, placed second in 21:36.6, just 3.4 seconds behind her teammate. Riley Buese of Lewis & Clark was third at 21:41.5 and Annie Berry from Pacific was timed at 21:48.9 for fourth. Madelyn Buckley attained fifth place at 21:50.5, with Ellie Rising of GFU in sixth place in 21:54.9 and Sarah Paquet claiming the final First Team All-NWC spot in seventh place at 21:58.7.

GFU's winning score of 26 in the women's race was followed by Lewis & Clark's score of 78 in second place. Pacific University was third at 90, Pacific Lutheran placed fourth at 110, Linfield University was fifth at 136, Whitman College took sixth at 142, Willamette was seventh at 171, Whitworth finished eighth at 199, and Puget Sound ended the race in ninth place at 232.

The score of 38 recorded by George Fox in the men's race gave the Bruins a margin of victory of seven points. Pacific Lutheran was second with a score of 45 and Lewis & Clark earned third place at 79. Whitworth was next in fourth at 130, while Puget Sound was fifth at 163, Pacific achieved sixth place at 179, Willamette was seventh at 184, Linfield was eighth at 197, and Whitman took ninth at 204.

Willamette will compete at the NCAA West Regional on Saturday, Nov. 12 in Spokane, Washington. The meet is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. (PST).