COLFAX, Wash. – Arizona Cross Country continues the 2024 season on Friday with the Cougar Classic hosted by Washington State at the Colfax Golf Course.
The competition gets underway at 5:00 p.m. MST with the women’s 6k and will be followed by the men’s 8k at 5:45 p.m. MST. The Colfax Golf Course is the site of this year’s NCAA Western Regional Championships, so this meet gives the Wildcats the added benefit of previewing the regional course. Live results for the meet can be found here.
The Wildcats last competed at the NMSU Lori Fitzgerald Open on August 31. The season opener in Las Cruces, N.M., saw the Arizona Women finish second overall and the Arizona Men third. Both teams ran 5k’s in the competition, so the Cougar Classic will be the first meet of the season with the typical women’s 6k and men’s 8k.
Triathlete Molly Lakustiak led the way for the women’s team in New Mexico, finishing first for the team and fifth overall in the 5k. She was followed by a trio of Wildcats who finished 11th, 12th, and 13th: Mia Wentzy, Laina Friedmann, and Ellison Wolfe. Alisa Lyesina was the team’s fifth runner. For the men’s team, newcomer Gideon Mengich finished first for the team and 10th overall in the 5k. He was followed by Ian Sanchez Lopez, who placed 15th, Cooper Quigley, who placed 16th, and Michael Urbanski, who placed 18th. The team’s fifth runner was Ayden Schilb.
Two freshmen will make their Wildcat debut on Friday night: Mateo Pimienta on the men’s side and Eleanor Korten Kamp on the women’s side. Due to triathlon’s home meet this weekend, none of the triathlon-cross country collaborators will be travelling to Washington to compete.
A meet recap will be posted here detailing the competition results. Live updates will also be posted to @ArizonaTrack on X.
RUNNERS
MEN
Gideon Mengich, Mateo Pimienta, Cooper Quigley, Noah Ray, Ian Sanchez Lopez, Ayden Schilb, Michael Urbanski
WOMEN
Laina Friedmann, Brooklyn Hanania, Eleanor Korten Kamp, Alisa Lyesina, Kara Mickelson
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