By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- The Willamette University cross country teams will compete at the 2023 NCAA Division III West Regional on Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Riverside Cross Country Course. All teams in the West Region are eligible to participate in the meet. A total of 31 colleges and universities will be represented by at least one runner in the men's competition and 28 colleges and universities will have at least one runner in the women's competition.

The men's 8-kilometer race will start at 8 a.m. PST. Running for the Bearcats in the men's race will be Jay Chew (So., Elk Grove, CA/Laguna Creek HS), Joshua Evans (Jr., Lafayette, CA/Acalanes HS), William Hennum (Jr., Henderson, NV/Liberty HS/SW Oregon CC), Adam Lewis (Fy., Glendale, CA/Eagle Rock HS), Sage Soto (Fy., Kapolei, HI/Kapolei HS), and Julien Trobaugh (Fy., St. Louis, MO/University City HS).

After the men's race ends, the women's race is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. PST. Entered in the women's race for Willamette are Anna Bikle (So., Woodside, CA/Half Moon Bay HS), Leila Fischer (Jr., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS), Zoe Heino (So., Portland, OR/Mountainside HS), Grace Kosmicki (So., Pocatello, ID/Highland HS), Anastasiia Lemesh (So., Chernihiv, Ukraine), Aven Roberts (Fy., Missoula, MT/Hellgate HS), and Morgan Shaw (Fy., Redmond, OR/Ridgeview HS).

During last year's 2022 NCAA Division III West Regional at Plante's Ferry Sports Complex in Spokane, Washington, the men's team champion was Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (Calif.) with a score of 36 (1, 5, 7, 10, 13) and the women's team championship was earned by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) with a score of 37 (1, 4, 5, 11, 16).

Lucas Florsheim from Pomona-Pitzer claimed the men's individual title with an 8-kilometer time of 24:23.2 in 2022. Natalie Bitetti of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won the women's individual championship in 2022 by completing six kilometers in 21:41.3.