Nov. 13, 2007

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Looking for a top 10 finish, the Western Washington University men's cross country team competes at the NCAA Division II National Championships on Saturday, Nov. 17, at Joplin, Missouri.

It is the second trip to nationals for the Vikings, who made their first appearance in 2003 and placed 13th. In all, Western has competed in 11 national meets, 10 of them as a NAIA member, with its highest finishes being fifth in 1995 and sixth in 1992.

"We're going to go and do well," said Western coach Pee Wee Halsell (21st year), who earned Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors. "I have a really good feeling about this team."

"This is the start of a great era for us. We had one in the 1990s in the NAIA, and now we're beginning one at the NCAA II level."

The Vikings, ranked No.16 in the most recent United States Cross Country Coaches Association Top 25, qualified for nationals by placing second at the West Regional on Nov. 3, their highest finish in school history. Two weeks earlier, they had won a second straight GNAC title.

Western is led by redshirt freshman Bennett Grimes (Pocatello, ID/Century), who placed fifth at regionals to earn all-star honors. Grimes also was one of four Vikings to receive GNAC all-star recognition as he finished third.

Western's other league all-stars were redshirt freshman Daniel Phillips (Olympia), who was named GNAC Freshman of the Year after placing second at the GNAC meet; redshirt freshman Blake Medhaug (Bothell), who was eighth, and freshman Jordan Welling (Burlington/Burlington-Edison), who was 10th.

Completing the Vikings' national contingent are senior Keith Lemay (Lynden/Lynden Christian), senior Jon Skelton (Mount Vernon/West Point) and junior Anthony Tomsich (Fairbanks, AK/West Valley).

Skelton was Western's second-highest finisher at regionals, placing 19th. Tomsich, who missed the GNAC meet to rest a sore achilles' tendon, finished 20th at regionals, and Lemay is a three-time GNAC academic all-star.

Western also will have a runner competing in the women's division at nationals as freshman Sarah Porter (Hockinson) finished 13th at regionals to earn all-star honors and was one of two individuals from non-qualifying teams to qualify. Porter was the Vikings' leading runner in every meet this fall.