WSU cross country competes at Cougar Classic

Women finish second; men finish third at Cougar Classic

JACK ELLIS | DAILY EVERGREEN FILE

Then-sophomore Zorana Grujic leads the gray team in the first 2,000m of the 2019 WSU XC Open at Colfax Golf Course.

KAT MCKINNEY-ROLEY, Evergreen reporter
September 13, 2021

Both the WSU men’s and women’s cross-country teams ran on Friday on the home course for the second time this season. 

The WSU women were led by freshman Neema Kimtai, who finished second overall.  Kimtai was the fastest Coug at the race. She leads the women’s team with an average mile of 5:37.2. She also ran a 20:57.4 in the women’s 6k. 

Right behind Kimtia was sophomore Caroline Jerotich. Jerotich placed third with a time of 20:59.5 and an average time of 5:37.8. Finishing out the top five was freshman Alaina Stone Boggs, who finished with a time of 21:12.6. and had an average time of 5:41.3. The three Cougs finished in the top five for the race. 

Senior Pia Richards finished eighth with a time of 21:17.4 and was the fourth Coug in the top 10. Sophomore Samantha Boyle finished 15 with a time of 21:50.3. Junior Zorana Grujic finished at the 22 spot with a time of 22:15.2. Right behind her was freshman Maya Nichols with a time of 22:15.9. Senior Erin Mullins finished 25 and sophomore Jelena Grujic finished 26. Freshman Madison Lee finished 50, and that rounded out the finishes for the Cougs. 

The WSU women placed second overall with 33 points. Gonzaga finished first with a score of 31. Meanwhile, Idaho finished with a score of 64, Eastern Washington finished with 110 and Spokane Community College finished with 158 points. 

On the men’s side, freshman Leif Swanson led the Cougs during the 8k race and posted an average mile of 4:56.6. Sophomore Sam Griffith finished with a time of 24:42.1 placing 14 overall. Griffith also posted an average mile of 4:58.1. Freshman Evan Gonzalez placed 24 with a time of 25:10. 

Freshman Isaiah Lowery recorded a time of 26:05.1 which placed him in the 40 spot. Sophomore Amrit Banga followed with a time of 26:21.8 and secured the 47th spot. In 50th place was junior Nate Pendleton. 

Gonzaga also placed first overall with 15 points. Idaho placed second with 81 points, and WSU placed third with 101 points. 

Even in the rain, the Cougs ran well in only their second meet on their home course. With a standout performance from the women and a few good performances by the men, the Cougars get ready to get back out and train before their next invitational.

The Cougs will be competing in the Bill Dellinger Invitational hosted by the Oregon Ducks on Sept. 23.