Team Shine, Women Take 3rd at NWAC Championships

Spokane, WA - For the first time since 2012 the NWAC Cross Country Championship Meet returned to Spokane, this time at a brand new venue, "The Course Spokane Valley." The Course was completed earlier in the month and hosted the NCAA Division I West Coast Conference Championships a week earlier.  Light rain earlier in the week made for a semi damp course, but the new grass and drainage held up well. Race day was hovering around 50 degrees, but the rain held off for most of the day, setting the stage for the final race of the season. 

The men's 8k was the first race of the day, with the favorites to win being Alex Wright of Spokane, Brayden Lamanna of Treasure Valley, and Andrew Rush of Lane.  Those three along with Kenenisa Udo from EvCC lead the pack for most of the way.  Wright began to seperate while Lamanna and Rush tried to keep pace.  In the end Wright was able to come away with the win, followed by Rush then Lamana.  Udo fell back to 10th, as the first Trojan to finish, but held onto his position and earned a medal by finishing in the top 10.  Hector Mendoza had an impressive race as the second EvCC team member to cross and he was followed closely by sophomore Charlie Roberts.  

As the team points began to accumulate it was going to be neck and neck between Everett and Green River for 4th and 5th.  The Trojans topped the Gators two weeks earlier to earn the Northwest Region Championship crown, but despite Everett placing all 7 scoring runners ahead of GRC's 5th runner, the Gators still squeezed past Everett by two points to claim the 4th spot, thanks to their top runner, Samuel Grice finishing 5th overall.

Still, the 5th place finish is the highest for the program since the team took 4th overall back in 2014. 

The women's championship increased the distance to a 6k for the first time in conference history, matching may other college conferences and divisions.  Prior to the championship event the Trojans had 3 races under their belts at the distance, and high expectations entering the race, ranked as the 3rd fastest team at that distance.  The top Trojan runner has changed hands between sophomore Teagan Pentz and freshman Lily Rock over the course of the season, Pentz holding the fastest 6k time, but Rock taking the crown as the Northwest Region individual champion.  It would be Pentz to lead Everett in the NWAC Championship, and she would hold on to 7th place overall, which earns her a spot as an NWAC All American. 

Three other Trojans placed inside the top 25, Rock (16th), Red Long (23rd), and Taya Kilgore (25th) who moved up considerably from her pre meet ranking of 34th.  Those four along with freshman Heidi McKinley rounded out EvCC's top five in scoring and securing a 14 point lead over traditional NWAC powerhouse Lane CC and taking the 3rd place team finish.  This is the highest finish since the program took 2nd back in 2016.  

It was a fantastic season, with both the men and women's teams winning Northwest Region Championships along with Udo and Rock being named Region Champions and Pentz earning a spot on the All American List.  Head Coach Rachel Cundy, completing her 4th season as head coach was named the Northwest Region Women's Coach of the year.  Udo and Rock were both two-time NWAC Athletes of the Week during the season along with Reda Long who gained the honors in week 3.  Additionally, Isaac Pratt, Luke Taylor, William Pyeatt, Heidi McKinley, Ariel Rodriguez-Garcia, Halle McClain, and Amelia Koon were named second team all region while Udo, Hector Mendoza, Charlie Roberts, Rock, Pentz, Long, and Taya Kilgore were named First Team All Region.  

With solid performances from a number of freshman, the teams look poised to make a return in 2026 to vie for a top spot in the NWAC, but before that, these athletes will hit the track for the spring 2026 outdoor season.