On Friday Nov. 10, the Portland Pilots cross-country teams competed in the NCAA West Regional in Seattle, WA, with the men’s team claiming first place in the meet and the women’s team finishing 10th.
This is the first time the men’s team has won the West Regional since 1993 and is only the second time they have won it in school history. Sophomore Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse also finished 1st, becoming the first Pilot to get an individual win since Trevor Dunbar did in 2010.
“I am very proud of the guys,” men’s head coach Rob Conner said about the team’s performance in a press release for the Pilots. “They have worked hard this year and deserved to win this meet.”
The men’s team had three runners finish in the top 5, with Roudolff-Levisse winning the race, senior Jeff Thies finishing second and junior Nick Hauger finishing fourth. All three of the runners earned All-Region honors for their finishes. Freshman Caleb Webb and sophomore Logan Orndorf finished fourth and fifth for the Pilots and finished 27th and 29th overall.
The women’s team also had a solid outing, finishing 10th amongst a field of 36 competitors. Taryn Rawlings also earned All-Region honors for her 14th place finish, good enough to qualify for the NCAA Cross-Country Women’s Championship. Freshman Jasmijn Lau also just missed All-Region honors, finishing 26th overall.
The men’s team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Cross-Country Men’s Championship with their first place finish and also moved up to no. 4 in the rankings. Taryn Rawlings is the only runner for the women’s team competing in the women’s championship. The races will take place Saturday, Nov. 18 in Louisville, KY
