Arizona women’s cross country won its first Pac-12 Conference championship on Saturday in Louisville, Colo., while the men’s team finished eighth.
“We are so proud of the ladies,” said head coach James Li in a press release. “This whole year they have been doing such a great job in everything they do. They are so focused and to come here in a difficult situation at altitude and against a really good Colorado team on their home course. It was a hard-fought victory, and it was a great job by all the girls today.”
Senior Elvin Kibet not only finished second in the women’s race but she was also awarded the Pac-12 2013 Scholar Athlete of the Year Award before the race. Elvin Kibet had a time of 21:15, coming in nine seconds after the first place winner.
Second for the women was sophomore Kayla Beattie, who came in fifth place overall with a time of 21:20. Coming in third for UA was junior Nicci Corbin with a time of 21:23, good for sixth place overall.
Freshman Maria Larsson took 24th place overall with a time of 22:30. The final scorer was junior Hanna Peterson, who came in 32nd place with a time of 22:43.
In 2012, Arizona finished second place at the Pac-12 championships.
“For the team winning the Pac-12 Championship for the first time ever, that’s just amazing,” Elvin Kibet said in a press release. “We went into this race and coach Li told us, ‘Run with spirit. It’s one thing to run but it is another to run with spirit.’”
The Arizona women’s team won the meet with a total of 69 points, Colorado took second place with 75 points, Washington came in third with 111 points, Oregon came in fourth place with 113 points, Stanford came in fifth with 129 points and ASU had 138 points, good for sixth place.
Arizona earned a point on ASU in the Territorial Cup Series with this win. The Territorial Cup Series is the school year-long athletics competition between the two rivals in all the varsity sports.
In the men’s race, freshman Collins Kibet was the first finisher for the Wildcats with a time of 25:39, taking 17th place overall. Junior Sam Macaluso was next for the UA, coming in 24th place overall with a time 25:54. Sophomore Jonas Legernes came in 51st place with a time of 26:38. Junior Lawi Lalang did not run in the Pac-12 meet due to a calf injury. He was the winner in 2011 and 2012.
Colorado claimed its third consecutive men’s team title with 28 points. Oregon finished in second with 54 points, Stanford with 79 points, was good for third place and ASU finished in fourth place with 140 points. In fifth place was Washington with 142 points.
Arizona finished with a total of 194 points, good for eighth place.
The Wildcats lost a point to ASU in the Territorial Cup Series with the men coming in after ASU. So far, the series is tied 1-1, with the Sun Devils having the edge in getting the indoor volleyball point by virtue of their win over the Wildcats in Tempe, Ariz.
Arizona has won the Territorial Cup Series all four school years it has been contested.
Up next for the cross country Wildcats is the NCAA West Regionals on Nov. 15, in Sacramento, Calif.
— Follow Makenzie Thiel @makenziethiel
