The Alaska Nanooks cross country team will compete at the Bill Roe Classic, hosted by Western Washington University in Ferndale, Washington. The event is scheduled for Saturday, with the women’s race starting at 9 a.m. and the men’s race following at 10 a.m. at Hovander Park Trails.
After their recent performance at the Blue & Gold race, the Nanooks are aiming to improve their team results. Individual athletes Lucca Duke and Dexter Delaney had notable performances in that meet. Duke began her sophomore season with a time of 23:15 on the 6k course, while freshman Delaney ran 25:48 in his first collegiate home appearance on the 8k course.
Western Washington University’s men’s team enters the event ranked third in the west region by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and holds the 16th spot in the National Coaches’ Poll. The Vikings were also ranked first in this season’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, while Alaska was ranked fourth among ten teams.
Lucca Duke is highlighted as a key competitor for Alaska’s women’s team, set to face WWU’s Jill Philbin. Riga Grubis is also mentioned for her performance at the Seawolf Throwdown two weeks ago, where she completed a 6k run in 24:18. On the men’s side, Delaney continues to draw attention after placing third at the Seawolf Throwdown with a time of 23:45 in the men’s 8k.
As of September 15th, Conrad Haber has been promoted to head coach of both Nanooks cross country teams after serving as assistant head coach for two seasons. He replaces Eliska Albritsen, who led the program for six years before accepting a position as Head Nordic Ski Coach at the University of Denver.
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