Everett Cross Country Posts Strong Performances at Gator Invite
The Everett Community College cross country teams continued to gain valuable early-season experience against a strong mix of NCAA Division I & II and Canadian universities at the Gator Invite...
The Everett Community College cross country teams continued to gain valuable early-season experience against a strong mix of NCAA Division I & II and Canadian universities at the Gator Invite, hosted by fellow NWAC member Green River College at Fort Steilacoom Park. Both the men's and women's squads showed promise, highlighted by a top-five team finish for the Trojan women.
Men's 6K
The Everett men placed 7th overall, competing against fields stacked with nationally recognized four-year programs, and was the only NWAC school to post a team score. Freshman Kenenisa Udo led the Trojans with a standout performance, clocking 19:17.2 for 43rd place overall. Behind him, Everett's depth continued to develop as sophomore Charlie Roberts (78th, 20:51.8), Hector Mendoza (82nd, 21:04.3), and Isaac Pratt (86th, 21:25.4) worked together through the middle of the race. Freshmen Luke Taylor (90th, 21:33.4) and William Pyeatt (93rd, 21:59.3) added to the scoring, while Zayne Cola (98th, 22:21.8) and Jacob Doughty (103rd, 23:21.9) rounded out the lineup.
Women's 4K
The Everett women's team put together an impressive 5th-place team finish, the top result among community colleges in the field. Freshman Lily Rock paced the Trojans, finishing 31st in 15:54.6. She was followed closely by Reda Long (43rd, 16:18.3), while Taya Kilgore (50th, 17:46.0) and Heidi McKinley (51st, 17:48.5) provided key scoring depth. Everett's pack strength was on display as Halle McClain (52nd, 17:57.0), Ariel Rodriguez-Garcia (53rd, 18:12.3), and Amelia Koon (55th, 18:12.8) all crossed within seconds of one another to secure the Trojans' strong team standing.
Next Up
Everett will stay semi-local with another trip down to the Tacoma area for their next race. This one will be next weekend at Pacific Lutheran University and will feature several NCAA DIII schools, some NAIA competition, and two NCAA DII programs. NWAC schools expected to compete along with Everett are Clark College, Olympic, and Pierce on the women's side.