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Authored by: Joy Chan
Event Date/Location: September 28, 2024, Hovander Homestead Park, Ferndale, WA
Link to photo album
The Western Washington University Bill Roe Cross Country Classic returned to Hovander Homestead Park for its 50th year last weekend, with runners from across the West descending on the small city of Ferndale, just 20 minutes from the Canadian border. Hovander Park was a new cross country course for LSRC, a county park with a historic farm site on acres of sprawling fields next to the Nooksack River. Mt. Baker loomed large in the nearby distance, visible from just between the right grove of trees.
While the meet was dominated by NCAA Division II collegiate teams, there were a few club teams, too: LSRC, Club Northwest, and Premature Acceleration. Our goal was to simply have fun as a team and enjoy some friendly racing. As we warmed up on the 2K loop course, the mood was light while excitement continued to build. The biggest question everyone seemed to have was shoe choice – the majority of the 2K loop was on long grass (slippery in spots) with the rest on decently packed gravel. In the end, most opted for road shoes, a few chose trail runners, and a couple braved their XC spikes.
Since we arrived only an hour before the start of the men’s race, the time flew by way too quickly and before we knew it, the men were ready to start their 8K race (four loops of the 2K course). As the gun went off, a wave of determination surged through the runners. They charged forward, covering the open field ahead of the start line in little time. Because of the loop course, spectating was a breeze, and the women were able to cheer on the men for 2K, 4K, 6K, and finally through the finish chute. Impressively, the six-person LSRC men’s team all finished within seven minutes of one another in a highly competitive 176-person field, with each of our Open division men displacing at least one collegiate runner.
The women barely had time to congratulate the men before it was their turn to toe the line for their 6K race (three loops of the 2K course). They had just seen the energy from the men and were ready to give it their all. As the gun went off for the second time, the LSRC women surged ahead, each one keeping their next teammate within sight, helping push each other to keep a strong pace. Shouts of encouragement from the men helped us focus on the task at hand. When the final times came in, the spread in the five-person LSRC women’s team was even closer than the men’s: three and a half minutes in an equally competitive 119-person field, with three of the five women making their debut in XC.
Despite placing last in team scoring for both races, the LSRC men’s and women’s teams gave it their all on a challenging course against some very fast collegiate and club teams (Western Washington University, the host for the meet, had women’s and men’s teams in the Top 1-2 spots in the NCAA West division). We showed up – some giving XC a chance for the first time – and ran with a confidence and spirit we can all be proud of. This is just the start of a great season, and we can’t wait to see what the next few months will have in store. Go blue!
Full Team Results: https://pntfo.trackscoreboard.com/meets/9282024/events/1
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6K
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Time
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Highlights
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Maricruz Del Pozo
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29:01
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First XC race! Way to lead the way!
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Joy Chan
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30:33
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Strong start to the XC season!
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Yiwei Xu
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30:42
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First XC race! Way to push!
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Paula Murray
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32:32
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Took a wrong turn but still crushed it!
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Beth Mantey
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32:40
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First post-high school XC race! Way to push!
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8K
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Time
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Highlights
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Clayton Koppi
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28:37
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First post-collegiate XC race!
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Erik Hoeg
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28:56
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Ran so fast the XC spikes were toast!
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Zachary Fung
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29:20
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Made his goal of sub-30!
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Steven Hammond
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31:00
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No spikes, no problem!
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Guanyu Wang
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31:17
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In the middle of marathon training!
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Mike Williamson
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35:54
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Strong start to the XC season!
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