The Falcons Online -- Seattle Pacific University Athletics

Seattle Pacific Takes Run at Nationals
Falcons Seeking 1st Top-5 NCAA Finish Since ‘86 in Florida
November 13, 2006

Trail mix
Heritage was unanimously voted the GNAC women’s coach of the year last week. It's the second time that she has won the women's award, and in 2004 she was the men's coach of the year...The cross country meet is part of the inaugural Fall Sports Festival, which includes championships for lacrosse, soccer (m/w) and volleyball...Opening ceremonies are Wednesday...Adams State has won a total of seven titles, all since 1992, and was second eight times. The last winner from the West was Cal Poly Pomona in ‘83...Rohde (steeplechase) and Moriarty (3000) got a taste of national meet experience last spring on the track...Seattle Pacific has finished among the top nine in 10 of their previous trips to a national meet, placing as high as second at the ‘79 and ‘80 AIAW and third in the ‘83 and ‘86 NCAAs...Besides Moe, Joan Corbin of SPU won a national title in 1979 at the AIAW Championships. Moe was second in ‘86 and ‘87...The last All-American was Heather Wallace in 1999, and the last top-10 finisher was Charlotte Jensen (6th) in 1990...The national meet course will be on a trail through a forest and around three small lakes on the equestrian grounds. It was the same course used by host West Florida for a preview meet Sept. 30...The travel party departs Tuesday night on a redeye flight, arriving in Pensacola early Wednesday morning. Forecasts for Saturday call for sun and a high of 66.
*The Fragile Champion,* continues to be available. It is the story of the Falcons’ coach, Doris Heritage, and her unlikely rise to world prominence is detailed by her longtime coach and colleague, Dr. Ken Foreman in his book. The book is now available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds going toward the Heritage and/or Foreman Athletic Endowments. Click for details.

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Finishing in style. They have come a long way, and now must go farther still. Seattle Pacific University sends its women’s cross country team 2500 miles across the country to the NCAA Division II Championships Saturday morning (Nov. 11) in Pensacola, Fla. Ranked No. 6 in the nation, the young Falcons are among 24 teams vying for the crown on a 6000-meter course at the Escambia County Equestrian Center.

Best in a generation? So far this autumn, the SPU women have accomplished feats reminiscent of 20 years ago, when the Falcons last finished among the top three nationally. They won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, came within four points of the West Region championship and their top scorer claimed the individual prize. This is the first national qualification since 1999 and the last top-five placement was 1986, when Seattle Pacific was third.

Fountain of youth. Coach Doris Heritage has got a squad on the upswing. Without a single senior and her top seven featuring three freshmen and two sophomores, Heritage is bound to back in the hunt again and again. Any because they’re young, and because they’re outside the top five in the rankings, there is relatively little pressure, in theory. Rather, the pressure is on the likes of Grand Valley State, the No. 1-ranked team and last year’s runnerup; Western State (Co.), the No. 2 team and a five-time champion; and Adams State, the three-time defending champion, currently ranked third.

The wild West. After some close calls which kept them from making nationals the last two years, the Falcons made it rather easily by taking second to Cal State L.A., 67-70, at the West Regional Nov. 4. Four teams qualified, including UC San Diego and Chico State. Despite being beaten by a fellow Div. II team for the first time, SPU moved up two spots in the rankings, and it was the best regional finish since winning the West in 1996.

No more two-timing. The top harrier in the West only began training with her team last week. Jessica Pixler (Fr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake) began November as a reserve defender on the SPU soccer team, suiting-up for a first-round playoff win in La Jolla, Ca. On the following morning she joined the cross country team at the Sacramento airport, and on the following day she won the West by over 10 seconds. Pixler is now undefeated in four races. Most of her training prior to the regional was done on her own, with running before or after her soccer practices and games.

Last time out. Pixler became Seattle Pacific’s first regional champion since Bente Moe in 1985, and Moe went on to win the NCAA title as well (and four more on the track as well). Pixler may lack Moe’s experience (an Olympic marathoner for Norway), but possesses more footspeed and the same desire to compete. She held back initially in the regional, then went to the front and coasted to first in 20:56.

Last time out. Beyond Pixler, the Falcons once again exhibited quality depth. The top five all finished among the top 22, including Jane Larson (Fr., Fall City, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) in 14th place (21:54), Karin Rohde (Jr., Bellingham, Wa./Mt. Baker) in 16th (22:00) and Suzie Strickler (So., Richland, Wa.) in 17th (22:02). Megan Wrightman (Jr., Bend, Or.) was 22nd in 22:15 and Mary Moriarty (So., Seattle, Wa./Ballard), who had been one of the team’s top two scorers in the first five meets, was 23rd in 22:16. By finishing among the top 15, both Pixler and Larson made the all-region team. Kate Harline (Fr., Orem, Ut.) rounds out Heritage’s squad for nationals. Harline was 29th (22:39) in the regional and has twice been the No. 5 scorer in meets.

Coaching Staff. Coach Doris Heritage (29th year) has guided the SPU women to 10 top-10 national finishes and conference titles in seven of the last 11 years. The men won the ‘04 crown. In 1996 the Falcons won the West Region and her teams finished as high as second in the AIAW (1979, ‘80) and third in the NCAA (1983, ‘86) championships. Twenty harriers have been All-America, including two national champions. The world’s premier distance runner of the Sixties, she won five consecutive world cross country titles from 1967-71, and was a member of the 1968 and ‘72 U.S. Olympic teams. Former SPU runner Erika Daligcon and physics professor Lane Seeley are the assistant coaches.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online. For updated standings and statistics, see the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web site.