SAN MATEO, Calif. – Some of the nation’s fastest student-athletes descend on Newhall Community Park in Concord Friday, October 29 for the 2021 West Coast Conference Cross Country Championships.
Six nationally-ranked men’s and women’s programs will vie for the team title, led by defending NCAA Women’s Team Champion No. 3 BYU and the 2019 NCAA Men’s Champion No. 7 BYU. Both Gonzaga and Portland feature nationally ranked men’s and women’s programs.
READ MORE: How to watch the 2021 Mountain West Cross Country Championships
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The women’s 6K race starts at 10:00 a.m. PT and the men’s 8K race begins at 11:00 a.m. If you can’t make it to the course in person both championships will be streamed by the WCC Network live on WCCsports.com.
How to watch the 2021 West Coast Conference Cross Country Championships
WCC CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
WOMEN’S RACE (6K) – 10:00 AM PT
MEN’S RACE (8K) – 11:00 AM PT
AWARDS CEREMONY – 12:00 PM PT
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*Both races and the awards ceremony will be broadcast live on the WCC Network on WCCsports.com.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY NOTABLES
3 – National Top-20 Programs (as of 10/19/21)
No. 7 BYU
No. 13 Gonzaga
No. 17 Portland
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4 – Regional Top-15 Programs (as of 10/19/21)
Mountain: No. 3 BYU
West: No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 6 Portland & No. 8 Santa Clara
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8 – Team Championships
10 – Individual Champions
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CONNER MANTZ
With his victory at the FSU XC Invite/Pre-Nationals, defending NCAA Champion Conner Mantz has won his last six races and enters the 2021 WCC Championships with 10 career race triumphs. The All-American and reigning USTFCCCA Athlete of the Year, Mantz has never posted a cross country finish outside the top10.
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The two-time defending WCC Champion posted the fastest 8K time in conference history last year in Las Vegas (22:54.4) and became the first WCC student-athlete to win two individual titles since Portland’s Matt Sabo accomplished the feat in 1989-90. Portland’s Brent Felt (1985-86) and Chris Lattig (1981-82) also posted back-to-back triumphs. All three did so under a previous 10K format.
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ORTON & PATAKI RETURN
BYU All-American Whittni Orton (2019) and Portland All-American Anna Pataki (2020) enter the 2021 event looking for their second individual WCC Championship. The last student-athlete to win back-to-back races was Tara Erdmann of LMU who won a WCC-record three – 2008, 20010-11.
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WOMEN
3 – Nationally Ranked Programs (As of 10/19/21)
No. 3 BYU
No. 27 Portland
RV Gonzaga
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4 – Regionally Ranked Top-15 Programs (As of 10/19/21)
Mountain: No. 3 BYU
West: No. 3 Portland; No. 5 Gonzaga; No. 7 San Francisco
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10 – Team Championships
9 – Individual Champions
