LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College cross country teams wrote themselves into the history books with a record-setting day for each program. The men mustered their highest recorded finish at NCAA Regionals and topped all Presidents' Athletic Conference teams with an eighth-place finish (268 team points) while the women placed 14
th overall (374 team points).
Claire Anderson (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown) displayed the best performance recorded by a runner in W&J history, finishing as the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Champion. Anderson broke the all-time record for the fastest time in the women's 6k at W&J with a 21:04.9 mark. The former record was previously held by Kristen Galligan who raced to a 21:09.3 mark in 2012.
Anderson is also the first women's runner in W&J history to claim an NCAA Cross Country Regional Title. This marks the second runner overall at W&J to claim a regional title since Harley Moyer of the 2018 men's cross country team.
Maria Gilles (North Ridgeville, Ohio/Lake Ridge Academy) finished next up for the Presidents in 59
th place with a personal-best mark of 23:03.8. The fellow junior moves to fifth all-time in the women's 8k to pass former W&J runner Megan Duffett from the 2008 season.
Three W&J runners followed behind Gilles to cap the top five Presidents.
Genevieve Ruth (Brecksville, Ohio/Brecksville Broadview Heights) paced her way to a 102
nd place mark with a season-best time of 24:28.8. Junior
Chloe LoCastro (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) finished seconds behind Ruth with a 105
th place finish and personal-best time of 24:32.1.
Cali LaRue (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) wrapped the top women's runners with an 111
th place mark with a personal-best time of 24:49.2.
On the men's side,
Dominic Flitcraft (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) headed the Presidents with a top-10 finish with a personal-best mark of 24:44.5. His 10
th-place mark now moves him to second all-time for the fastest times recorded in the men's 8k which was previously held by Harley Moyer of the 2018 men's team.
Following close behind was senior
Brock Pennington (North East, Pa./North East), finishing 16
th with a personal-best time of 24:55.4. Pennington now slots in as the third-fastest runner in W&J history with his afternoon time. In 38
th place, trotted fellow senior
Julian Paul (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) who paced his way to a personal-best 25:37.0 mark.
Shaun Walker (Washington, Pa./Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter) finished next up for W&J with an 86
th place finish and personal-best 26:35.8 time.
Daniel Deal (Butler, Pa./Knoch) capped the Presidents' top runners in the first 130 individuals with a 129
th place finish and 27:27.2 time.
Currently, Anderson and Flitcraft are locked to represent W&J at NCAA Nationals in Terre Haute, Ind. as automatic qualifiers. This marks the second-consecutive season that Anderson will be competing in the national championships. Pennington will await a chance to also represent the Presidents at nationals when the NCAA officially announces the field on Sunday (Nov. 17).
