Complete Results
Men          Women

CHINO, Calif. (Nov. 5) For the second year in a row, Seattle Pacific University came just a handful of points short of qualifying for the NCAA Division II women's cross country championships, finishing fourth at the West Regional meet Saturday at Prado Park.

Meredith Crane (Jr., Yakima, Wa./Davis) of the Falcons secured one of two individual berths for the national meet, taking fifth place overall. The SPU men missed the national cut by two places, taking fifth.

Alaska Anchorage, the runner-up to Seattle Pacific in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference two weeks earlier, edged the Falcons 129-134 for the region's third and final slot for the NCAA meet, which is Nov. 19 on the same course.

Miriam Hodgins of UC San Diego won the women's 6000-meter race in 21 minutes, 59 seconds, just ahead of Chico State's Katie Lee (22:01). Chico State won the team title with 42 points, followed by UCSD at 62.

A year ago, Seattle Pacific finished four points behind UAA for the third and final spot.

Crane, who has been ill much of the past three weeks, managed to stay with the lead pack and completed the course in 22:23. Karin Rohde (So., Bellingham, Wa./Mount Baker) was 21st in 23:29 and Josie Lavin (Sr., Bremerton, Wa.) was 25th in 23:38. Mary Moriarty (Fr., Seattle, Wa./Ballard), seventh in the GNAC championships, was 41st in 24:06 and Suzie Strickler (Fr., Richland, Wa.) was the fifth score, running 42nd in 24:07.

In the men's race, Chico State won its fourth straight West crown easily with 23 points. Host Cal Poly Pomona was second with 97 and Anchorage was third with 106. SPU totaled 172 points in their bid to return to nationals for the second year in a row.

Patrick Boivin of Chico ran to victory by a margin of 21 seconds over teammate Charlie Serrano. The Falcons' top scorer was Doug Gibson (Jr., Yakima, Wa./Riverside Christian), who was 18th in 33:32. Bjorn Bostrom (Jr., La Conner, Wa./Bellingham) was right behind, taking 20th in 33:45 over 10k.

The other scorers were Carlo Lozano (So., Seattle, Wa./Blanchet), 37th in 34:33; Brian Cronrath (So., attle Ground, Wa.), 52nd in 35:02; and James Rosser (Jr., Seattle, Wa./Highline), 53rd in 35:02.