Cross Country

BYU Sweeps 2021 WCC Cross Country Championships

No. 3 BYU Women win fourth straight; No. 7 Cougar Men take seventh consecutive title

2021 WCC CCROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
2021 WCC XC ALMANAC | 2021 WCC CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
 
CONCORD, Calif. – BYU men’s and women’s cross country teams swept the 2021 West Coast Conference Championships for the fourth consecutive year Friday at Newhall Community Park in Concord, Calif. The defending NCAA Champion Cougar women’s squad started out the day taking their fourth straight title on the 6K course, followed by the men’s team claiming the hardware for a seventh straight season.
 
All-American Whittni Orton, the 2019 WCC individual champion, won her second conference individual title to lead four Cougars in the top-5 finishers. All-American Conner Mantz won an unprecedented third straight WCC crown and the reigning NCAA Cross Country individual champion won his seventh consecutive race overall. Four BYU runners cracked the top-5.



 
WOMEN’S RACE RECAP
No. 3 BYU won for the third time this season behind a strong day from Orton who crossed the line at 20:01, becoming on the third WCC student-athlete to win the women’s race multiple times. Anna Camp (20:07), Aubrey Frentheway (20:08) and Lexy Halladay (20:17) finished three through five for the Cougars.
 
WOMEN’S RACE NOTABLES
  • Orton becomes just the third WCC student-athlete with multiple WCC individual championships
    • LMU’s Tara Erdmann won a WCC-record three – 2008-2010-11)
    • Portland’s Kilee Smith won back-to-back races on the 5K Crystal Springs Course in 1997-98
  • The Cougars posted a team score of 21, good for a 43-point cushion on runner-up Gonzaga (64)
  • San Francisco’s Ruby Smee (20:06) finished second overall for the Dons
  • 2020 individual champion Anna Pataki (20:18) finished sixth overall for No. 27 Portland
  • Gonzaga placed two in the top-10 en route to a second-place finish
    • 7. Kristen Garcia (20:30)
    • 10. Elisabeth Dannis (20:51)
  • Portland’s Laura Pellicoro won 2021 WCC Freshman of the Year honors, posting an 11th place finish (20:53)

 
MEN’S RACE RECAP
In a field featuring three top-20 programs, No. 7 BYU won for the third time this season behind another sizzling start from Mantz. The senior becomes the first WCC student-athlete to win three conference titles. The reigning USTFCCCA Athlete of the Year, Mantz (23:01) won by a 16-second margin against James Mwaura of Gonzaga (23:17). Casey Clinger (23:27), Brandon Garnica (23:33) and Lucas Bons (23:42) finished three through five for the Cougars.
 
MEN’SRACE NOTABLES
  • BYU wins its ninth WCC Championship with a score of 24, 26 points in front of runner-up No. 13 Gonzaga (50)
  • It matches the highest finish for the Bulldogs and the best since 2004
  • Mantz is the first WCC student-athlete to win back-to-back-to-back championships and just the fourth in conference history
    • Portland’s Matt Sabo accomplished the feat in 1989-90
    • Portland’s Brent Felt (1985-86) and Chris Lattig (1981-82) also posted back-to-back triumphs.
    • All three did so under a previous 10K format
  • Mantz has won his last seven starts and has won 11 career races during his legendary BYU career
  • Gonzaga placed three in the top-10, including Mwaura
    • 6. Cullen McEachern (23:43)
    • 7. Wil Smith (23:44)
  • Portland also placed a pair in the top-10
    • 9. Zak Kirk (23:48)
    • 10. Stan Niesten (23:50)
  • Santa Clara’s Zach Litoff posted an eighth-place finish to earn first team honors
  • Lucas Bons (23:42) earned WCC Freshman of the Year honors after placing fifth for the Cougars
 
WCC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM SCORES (6K)
Finish Team Score
1. No. 3 BYU 21
2. Gonzaga 64
3. No. 27 Portland 75
4. San Francisco 79
5. Santa Clara 164
6. Saint Mary's 167
7. Loyola Marymount 191
8. San Diego 250
9. Pacific 258
10. Pepperdine 290
 
ALL-WCC FIRST TEAM (TOP-10 FINISHERS)
Finish Name Team Time
1. Whittni Orton BYU 20:01.0
2. Ruby Smee San Francisco 20:06.0
3. Anna Camp-Bennett BYU 20:07.1
4. Aubrey Frentheway BYU 20:08.9
5 Lexy Halladay BYU 20:17.0
6 Anna Pataki Portland 20:18.8
7 Kristen Garcia Gonzaga 20:30.6
8 McKenna Lee BYU 20:40.5
9 Sara Musselman BYU 20:45.6
10 Elisabeth Danis Gonzaga 20:51.4
 
WCC MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM SCORES (8K)
Finish Team Score
1. No. 7 BYU 24
2. No. 13 Gonzaga 50
3. No. 17 Portland 63
4. Santa Clara 113
5. Saint Mary's 157
6. Pepperdine 185
7. Loyola Marymount 191
8. San Francisco 218
9. San Diego 238
 
ALL-WCC FIRST TEAM (TOP-10 FINISHERS)
Finish Name Team Time
1. Conner Mantz BYU 23:01.0
2. James Mwaura Gonzaga 23:17.1
3. Casey Clinger BYU 23:27.5
4. Brandon Garnica BYU 23:33.2
5 Lucas Bons BYU 23:42.4
6. Cullen McEachern Gonzaga 23:43.4
7. Wil Smith Gonzaga 23:44.3
8. Zach Litoff Santa Clara 23:46.4
9. Zak Kirk Portland 23:48.3
10. Stan Niesten Portland 23:50.1