By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Zoe Heino (So., Portland, OR/Mountainside HS) of Willamette University took 10th place in the women's 6-kilometer race at the Oak Knoll Loop Run on Saturday, Sept. 16. Willamette hosted the event at Oak Knoll Golf Course. Heino finished the race in 22:36.0. The Bearcats earned a score of 125 and placed fifth in the team standings.
Winning the women's individual championship was Kayla Aalpoel from George Fox University with a time of 21:51.1. She narrowly beat unattached athlete Brionna Holso to the finish line, as Holso was timed at 21:51.2 in second place. Stina Pettersson of the University of Portland was third at 22:07.8.
Katie Kopec, who ran unattached, placed fourth at 22:11.7, while Ellie Rising of GFU was fifth in 22:16.7. Jamie Zamrin of Portland State University placed sixth at 22:17.8.
Following Heino for Willamette were Grace Kosmicki (So., Pocatello, ID/Highland HS), Leila Fischer (Jr., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS), Aven Roberts (So., Missoula, MT/Hellgate HS), and Anna Bikle (So., Woodside, CA/Half Moon Bay HS).
Kosmicki crossed the finish line in 25:27.4 for 47th place. Fischer at 25:50.2, Roberts at 25:55.6, and Bikle at 26:034.5 took 51st, 52nd, and 53rd.
Maya Garcia Schafer (Fy., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) and Leilani Luu (So., Colorado Springs, CO/Pine Creek HS) also competed for the Bearcats. Garcia Schafer registered a time of 26:16.6 and Luu was timed at 27:46.6.
Portland State led the team standings with a winning score of 40 (4-5-6-10-15). The Viks barely held off the Pilots from the University of Portland, who took second place at 41 (2-7-9-11-12). George Fox was third with a score of 48. Linfield was fourth at 115, Willamette was fifth at 125, and Umpqua Community College took sixth place at 190.
Willamette is scheduled to compete again on Saturday, Sept. 30 when the Bearcats host the 48th Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Oregon. The first race is set to start at 8:30 a.m. PDT.
