WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Whitman College cross country teams may have lost their top two runners to graduation, but head coach Neal Christopherson still expects to field stronger squads this fall.
A year ago, the Missionary women placed eighth as a team at the Northwest Conference championships, even though senior Laura Matsen set new course and meet records in winning the race. Meanwhile, led by junior Conor Flynn and senior Braden Burkholder, the Whitman men finished seventh.
“I really think both teams should place higher at this year’s conference championships,” Christopherson said. “There’s no way we can replace Laura Matsen on the women’s team, and we also graduated our top men’s runner, but we have a lot of good quality depth on both teams.”
Flynn (Aspen, Colo.; Aspen HS) is one of three Missionary men prepping for his fourth season of cross country. “Conor should be our top guy all season,” Christopherson says. “He has improved his times by about 30 seconds each year. If he does that again, he would have a good shot at earning all-conference honors.”
Flynn paced the Whitman men at last year’s conference championship race, placing 26th overall, two spots in front of Burkholder, who was slowed that day by illness.
Also back for their fourth seasons are Ryan Choi (Bellevue, Wash.; Newport HS) and Pat Cade (Riddle, Ore.; Riddle HS). “Ryan had a good summer of training, and he’s ready for a good senior season,” Christopherson says. “He looks like he could be our No. 2 guy this fall.”
Cade was 35th and Choi 49th at last year’s NWC championships. A week later at the NCAA West Region race, however, Choi turned the tables on his teammate, placing 60th to Cade’s 82nd.
Cade and returning sophomore Elliot Brian (Fairfax, Calif.; Sir Francis Drake/San Anselmo) are poised to lead Whitman’s next pack of runners, which could also include freshmen Kevin Van Meter (Portland, Ore.; Franklin HS), Elias Asch (Portland, Me.; Waynflete School), Brian Woods (Bellingham, Wash.; Sehome HS), Tim Marrinan (Sauk Rapids, Minn.; Cathedral HS/St. Cloud), and Travis Dixon (La Grande, Ore.; La Grande HS).
Rounding out the men’s roster are senior Miles Barrett (Lake Oswego, Ore.; Lakeridge HS) , sophomores Samuel Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Fountain Valley School) and Adam Kopet (Portland, Ore.; Grant HS), and two more freshmen, Robert Marcotte (Fairbanks, Alaska; West Valley HS) and Loren Schmidt (Fairbanks, Alaska; Lathrop HS).
“We have so much depth on the men’s side,” Christopherson says. “If our top runners stay healthy and a few of the freshmen blossom at the longer college distance, we’ve got a good chance to place in the top four at conference. That would be a great season for the men.”
On the women’s side, Christopherson welcomes back talented senior Sierra Witnov (Santa Barbara, Calif.; Santa Barbara HS), who missed her junior season while on foreign study, after placing fourth as a sophomore at the conference championships. “Sierra is very talented,” he says. “She should be our top women’s runner, and one of the best runners in the conference.”
Back for her fourth season of running is senior Mo FitzMaurice (Grangeville, Idaho; Grangeville HS) . Christopherson expects FitzMaurice to lead Whitman’s second tier of runners, which should also include returning sophomore Emma Catmur (Crested Butte, Colo.; Crested Butte Community School) along with senior Sarah Hardee (Bothell, Wash.; Bothell HS) and junior Laura Valaas (Wenatchee, Wash.; Wenatchee HS). Hardee and Valaas are veterans of the nordic ski team who are running cross country for the first time. Valaas also excelled last spring as a member of Whitman’s national championship club cycling team.
Christopherson also expects consistent scoring contributions from sophomore Caitlin Kearney (Lakeside, Calif.; University HS/San Diego) and senior Emily Johnson (Bainbridge Island, Wash.; Bainbridge HS) . Kearney is running collegiate cross country for the first time.
“Our top five to seven runners should be solid,” Christopherson says.
Others on the women’s roster are senior Mary Ashby (Novato, Calif.; San Domenico School/San Anselmo) , who is running for the first time, and two freshmen, Marnie Burgoyne (North Hollywood, Calif.; Oakwood School) and Colleen Smith (Portland, Ore.; Lincoln HS) .
The Missionaries get an early start to their season when they host the Whitman Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 4, at Fort Walla Walla Park. Whitworth, one of Whitman’s NWC rivals, is expected to send teams, along with two NAIA schools, Northwest Nazarene and Lewis-Clark State.
Whitman plans to run in four other meets prior to the NWC championships, slated for Saturday, Oct. 30 in Spokane.