MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University cross country teams will be hosting several meets for the upcoming 2022 fall schedule that was announced.
WOU will host the Ash Creek Collegiate on Sep. 16, the Mike Johnson Classic on Sep. 30 and the GNAC Championships on Nov. 5. WOU will also host the Ash Creek High School/Middle School Invitational (Sep. 10) and the PDXC Middle School State Meet (Oct. 30).
The Wolves open the 2022 fall schedule traveling up the road to McMinnville to compete in the Linfield University Invitational. WOU entered this meet last year with Katie Chapman starting off her collegiate career strong coming in runner-up.
During the 2021 Ash Creek Collegiate, WOU came in second in both the men's and women's races. Luz Garcia and Keanu Daos led the way for the Wolves with a pair of first-place finishes.
The second home meet of the season will conclude September when the Wolves host the Mike Johnson Classic. Last year, Garcia again took home the title. Miguel Villar led the men's team coming in 18th. Both teams placed fifth overall.
In October, WOU will travel back to Portland to compete in the Lewis & Clark Invitational on Oct. 15. The Wolves sent a small group to this meet in 2021, with the women traveling Josie Ackerman, Emily Johnson and Shannon Smith. The men sent Easton Pomrankey, Jaden McCabe, Matthew Schenk, Jordan Kemper, Wyatt Smith, Chase Eckenfels and Aero Franklin.
WOU will get a chance to see the NCAA Division II site for the National Championships when they travel to Seattle on Oct. 22 to compete in the NCAA D2 Preview hosted by Seattle Pacific. This trip will take the place of the Lewis Crossover meet that the Wolves competed in last October in Chicago. Against a very challenging field in Chicago, Garcia came in 11th and Villar placed 35th.
Into November will bring the GNAC Championships on Nov. 5 hosted by WOU. In last year's GNAC Championships, the men came in third led by Villar's All-GNAC 10th place finish. He also was named the Newcomer of the Year. In the women's race, WOU placed fourth for the highest finish since 2010. Garcia again led the way coming in fifth to earn All-GNAC honors. She was also tabbed as the GNAC Newcomer of the Year.
The NCAA portion of the schedule starts on Nov. 19 when the Wolves will travel to Montana to compete in the NCAA West Regional hosted by Montana State Billings. WOU hosted last year's NCAA West Regional where both teams placed 10th. On the women's side, the 10th place result was the highest finish since the 2013 season and both Garcia and Caitlin Heldt earned All-West Region honors. Garcia placed eighth, while Heldt came in 23rd. In the men's race, Villar again paced the Wolves and just missed collecting an All-Region spot when he placed 28th.
The NCAA National Championships arrive on Dec. 2 that will take place back in Seattle hosted by Seattle Pacific. Garcia competed at the NCAA National Championships last year for the Wolves coming in 107th.
2022 WOU Fall Cross Country Schedule
Sep. 2- @ Linfield University
Sep. 10- Ash Creek High School/Middle School Invitational
Sep. 16- Ash Creek Collegiate
Sep. 30- Mike Johnson Classic
Oct. 15- @ Lewis & Clark Invitational
Oct. 22- @ NCAA D2 Preview Nationals (Seattle Pacific)
Oct. 30- PDXC Middle School State Meet
Nov. 5- GNAC Championships
Nov. 19- NCAA West Regional (Montana State Billings)
Dec. 2- NCAA National Championships
