MALIBU – Portland's women’s cross country team and Gonzaga men's cross country team took the 2023 West Coast Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Alumni Park in Malibu, Calif. The Portland women's team started out the day earning its first title since 2016 on the 6K course, followed by the Gonzaga men’s team, ranked No. 28 nationally, claiming the 8K Conference title for the first time ever.
Gonzaga's
Rosina Machu won her first Conference individual title besting the championship field by 24 seconds.
Matt Strangio of Portland also claimed his first Conference individual title. Portland's
Fleur Templier and Gonzaga's
Logan Law were the top women and men freshmen runners in the event and garnered Freshman of the Year honors.
Women's Race Recap
The Pilots raced to the championship behind
Laura Pellicoro (20:52.7) and
Templier (21:05.3) who finished second and third overall.
The Pilots posted a team score of 40 points, with runner-up No. 28 Gonzaga behind six points (46). Gonzaga’s
Rosina Machu (20:28.2) earned a first-place finish overall, helping the Zags place second as a team.
Sadie Tuckwood (21:08.3) finished fourth overall for Gonzaga, after an xxth place finish a year ago. Saint Mary's finished third as a team with low sticks
Rayna Stanziano (21:49.8) and
Kaylee Barnes (21:52.0) placing seventh and eigth overall. San Francisco placed one in the top 10, good enough for a fourth-place finish. Saint Mary's also boasted a top ten runner in
Kinsey Hall (21:58.2), who rounded out the top 10.
Men's Race Recap
Gonzaga claimed its fifth win this season with 44 points while Portland placed second as a team behind 56 points. Portland's
Matt Strangio (24:08.1) claimed first after finishing 13th a year ago.
Ian Twyman (25:03.1) joined Stangio in the top 10 placing 10th overall. Santa Clara garnered three of the top 10 finishers - the most of any men's program - propelling the Broncos finish third as a team.
Adam Trafecanty (24:49.7) was LMU's top scorer finishing eighth overall to help the Lions place fourth.
San Francisco also had two finish top 10 in
Jacob Cann (24:45.5) and
Ed Buck (24:46.0) who placed fifth and sixth, respectively.
The NCAA West Regionals are hosted by Sacramento State and will take place on Friday, Nov. 10, at Haggin Oaks Golf Course in Sacramento.
WCC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM SCORES (6K)
| Finish |
Team |
Score |
| 1. |
Portland |
40 |
| 2. |
No. 28 Gonzaga |
46 |
| 3. |
Saint Mary's |
89 |
| 4. |
San Francisco |
108 |
| 5. |
Santa Clara |
109 |
| 6. |
LMU |
172 |
| 7. |
Pepperdine |
204 |
| 8. |
San Diego |
212 |
| 9. |
Pacific |
277 |
ALL-WCC FIRST TEAM (TOP-10 FINISHERS)
| Finish |
Name |
Team |
Time |
| 1. |
Rosina Machu |
Gonzaga |
20:28.8 |
| 2. |
Laura Pellicoro |
Portland |
20:52.7 |
| 3. |
Fleur Templier |
Portland |
21:05.3 |
| 4. |
Sadie Tuckwood |
Gonzaga |
21:03.3 |
| 5 |
Jessica Frydenlund |
Gonzaga |
21:25.7 |
| 6 |
Yasmine Abbes |
San Francisco |
21:35.7 |
| 7 |
Rayna Stanziano |
Saint Mary's |
21:49.8 |
| 8 |
Kaylee Barnes |
Saint Mary's |
21:52.0 |
| 9 |
Maebh Richardson |
Portland |
21:54.7 |
| 10 |
Kinsey Hall |
Santa Clara |
21:58.2 |
ALL-WCC SECOND TEAM (11th-15th PLACE FINISHERS)
| Finish |
Name |
Team |
Time |
| 11. |
Natalie Hlusi |
San Francisco |
22:00.0 |
| 12. |
Courtney Klatt |
Portland |
22:01.0 |
| 13. |
Molly Dreher |
Saint Mary's |
22:02.0 |
| 14. |
Samantha Prusse |
Portland |
22:02.0 |
| 15 |
Janelle Avilez |
Portland |
22:02.2 |
WCC MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM SCORES (8K)
| Finish |
Team |
Score |
| 1. |
Gonzaga |
44 |
| 2. |
Portland |
56 |
| 3. |
Santa Clara |
66 |
| 4. |
LMU |
101 |
| 5. |
San Francisco |
122 |
| 6. |
Pepperdine |
151 |
| 7. |
Saint Mary's |
164 |
| 8. |
San Diego |
260 |
ALL-WCC FIRST TEAM (TOP-10 FINISHERS)
| Finish |
Name |
Team |
Time |
| 1. |
Matt Strangio |
Portland |
24:08.1 |
| 2. |
Nicholas Russell |
Santa Clara |
24:10.7 |
| 3. |
Wil Smith |
Gonzaga |
24:34.2 |
| 4. |
Bryce Cerkowniak |
Gonzaga |
24:42.1 |
| 5 |
Jacob Cann |
San Francisco |
24:45.5 |
| 6. |
Ed Buck |
San Francisco |
24:46.0 |
| 7. |
Daniel Abdala |
Portland |
24:49.0 |
| 8. |
Adam Trafecanty |
LMU |
24:49.7 |
| 9. |
Ares Reading |
Santa Clara |
24:59.7 |
| 10. |
Ian Twyman |
Santa Clara |
25:03.1 |
ALL-WCC SECOND TEAM (11th-15th PLACE FINISHERS)
| Finish |
Name |
Team |
Time |
| 11. |
Drew Kolodge |
Gonzaga |
25:06.2 |
| 12. |
Logan Law |
Gonzaga |
25:10.7 |
| 13. |
Nolan Hosbein |
Portland |
25:15.2 |
| 14. |
Paul Talens |
Gonzaga |
25:23.4 |
| 15 |
Michael Maiorano |
Gonzaga |
25:25.2 |