Complete Results »»  Men   Women

SEATTLE (Sept. 8) – Jessica Pixler had no difficulty defending her title and No. 5-ranked Seattle Pacific University won the women’s competition while the men were runners-up at the Emerald City Invitational Saturday at Woodland Park.

Although she ran alone for the final 5000 meters of the 6k events, Pixler (So., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake) trimmed 13 seconds off her winning time of a year ago. Her victory, in 22minutes, 28.14 seconds, was her fifth in six career races.

It was her first competition since winning the 1500-meter gold medal at the Pan American Junior Games two months ago in Brazil. Pixler was 10th in the NCAA Division II Championships last fall, and won national titles in the mile (indoor) and 1500 (outdoor) as a freshman.

With all five of their scorer among the top seven, SPU easily finished ahead of host Seattle University (22-53). Western Washington (60) was third.

Brian Cronrath, a Seattle Pacific senior redshirt competing unattached, won the men’s 8k race in 27:17. Cronrath led most of the way, yielded to Western’s Blake Medhaug on the final 500 meters, and then reclaimed the lead going into the final straightaway. Medhaug was timed in 27:18.

The Falcons’ Chad Meis (So., Renton, Wa./Seattle Christian) ran third overall (27:30) for his best collegiate outing.

Seattle U. (27) won the team title, ahead of SPU (51) and Western (55).

Despite missing last year’s No. 2 scorer, Jane Larson (So., Fall City, Wa./Cedar Park Christian), the women’s team opened strong. Suzie Strickler (Jr., Richland, Wa.) was third (23:46), Karin Rohde (Sr., Bellingham, Wa./Mt. Baker) fifth (24:07), Kate Harline (So., Orem, Ut.) sixth (24:11) and Kaitlin Rohde (Sr., Bellingham, Wa./Mt. Baker) seventh (24:15).

The men’s other scorers were Scott Seamster (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Blanchet), 12th in 29:11; Jeff Dull (Fr., Shreline, Wa./King’s), 15th in 29:25; Jordan Lance (Fr., Bothell, Wa./Jackson), 21st in 30:03; and Evan Dull (Fr., Shoreline, Wa./King’s), 22nd in 30:34.

Both teams will race next Saturday at the Sundodger Invitational in West Seattle’s Lincoln Park.