SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Some of the nation's fastest student-athletes will race at Micke Grove Golf Links, Lodi, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 2, for the 2024 West Coast Conference Cross Country Championships.
 
The women's 6K race starts at 10:00 a.m. PT and the men's 8K race begins at 11:00 a.m. Both championships and the awards ceremony will be streamed live on ESPN+.  
 
2024 WCC CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
WOMEN'S RACE (6K) – 10:00 AM PT
MEN'S RACE (8K) – 11:00 AM PT
AWARDS CEREMONY – 12:30 PM PT
 
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY RANKINGS AND PREVIEW
No. 16 Gonzaga
RV Washington State
 
Gonzaga leads the way in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rankings, coming in at No. 16 nationally and third in the West Region. Washington State is also receiving votes in the latest national polls and ranked fifth in the West Region. Gonzaga finished first as a team in five events in 2024. 

Portland enters the meet as the reigning Conference champions after taking first over Gonzaga last year by six points. The Pilot women won their first WCC Championship in 1987 and have won 21 total. The Gonzaga women have been crowned WCC champions twice, while Saint Mary's and Santa Clara have each won a Conference title once.

Two-time Credit Union 1 WCC Runner of the Week Rosina Machu looks to win her second straight WCC title after winning last year's race with a time of 20:28.8. She was one of three Bulldogs to finish in the top five. Portland won the team title after the Pilots placed two runners in the top three - Laura Pellicoro (20:52.7) and Fleur Templier (21.05.3). 

In the last weekend of full competition during the regular season on Oct. 19, five WCC squads competed at the Bronco Invitational on Oct. 19, with San Francisco leading WCC teams with its third-place team finish. Kaylee Barnes from Saint Mary's finished second individually in the women's 6K race, crossing the finish line with a time of 20:15.4.

Most recently, Gonzaga took first at the Sasquatch Invite last Friday. In the women's 5K race, Ireland Robertson led wire-to-wire before setting a Spokane Polo Club course record with her time of 17:57.4. 

2024 Credit Union 1 WCC Women's Cross Country Runners Of The Week
September 3: Zenah Cheptoo, Washington State
September 10: Kate Laurent, Oregon State
September 17: Zenah Cheptoo, Washington State
September 24: Kaylee Barnes, Saint Mary's
October 1: Rosina Machu, Gonzaga
October 8: Anna Grabowski, Gonzaga
October 15: Kate Laurent, Oregon State
October 22: Rosina Machu, Gonzaga
October 29: Ireland Robertson, Gonzaga

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY RANKINGS AND PREVIEW
No. 28 Portland
RV Gonzaga

Portland leads the way in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rankings, coming in at No. 28 nationally. Gonzaga is also receiving votes in the latest national polls and ranked fifth in the West Region. Portland won three events as a team in 2024 along with five top-5 finishes. 

Gonzaga enters the meet as the reigning Conference champions after topping Portland last year by 12 points. The Bulldogs boasted two runners in the top four led by third-place finisher Wil Smith (24:34.2). History is on the side of the Portland men, though, having won 34 WCC Championships dating back to their first team title in 1979.

The Oct. 1 Credit Union 1 WCC Runner of the Week Matt Strangio looks to win his second straight WCC title after winning last year's race with a time of 24:01.  

In the last weekend of full competition during the regular season on Oct. 19, five WCC sqauds competed at the Bronco Invitational on Oct. 19, with the host Broncos leading the WCC with their sixth-place team finish. USF's Zach Elam took fifth individually in the men's 8K race, crossing the finish line with a time of 23:58.1.

Most recently, Gonzaga took first at the Sasquatch Invite last Friday. In the men's 8K race, Sean Janecko paced the Zags with his fourth-place finish, clocking in at 24:42.6. 

2024 Credit Union 1 WCC Men's Cross Country Runners Of The Week
September 3: Evans Kurui, Washington State
September 17: Evans Kurui, Washington State
September 24: Zane Jackson, Saint Mary's
October 1: Matt Strangio, Portland
October 8: Evans Kurui, Washington State
October 15: Wil Smith, Gonzaga
October 22: Bradley Peloquin, Portland
October 29: Sean Janecko, Gonzaga