CLAREMONT, Calif. – A pair of Lutes claimed All-West Region honors and Brad Hodkinson placed fourth overall to earn a berth to the national meet as the Pacific Lutheran men's cross country team placed 11th at the 2015 NCAA Div. III West Regional Championships Saturday morning at Pomona College.
Two weeks after placing fourth at the Northwest Conference Championships to earn first-team all-conference recognition, Hodkinson took fourth at the regional meet to claim a spot in next weekend's NCAA Div. III National Championships in Wisconsin. He finished the men's 8k with a time of 25:34.6, while fellow freshman Kyle Rapacz placed 34th with a time of 26:56.61 to give the pair of Lutes All-West Region recognition.
"It was so exciting to watch two of our freshmen step up to All-Region honors," PLU head coach Heather Kreier said. "Brad coming through in fourth as the top freshman was so powerful for his team and his collegiate future. I know as we begin the plans for nationals next week he is focused and a quiet storm is brewing. And Kyle pushed himself to a new level today by narrowing his focus."
Hodkinson finished as the second Northwest Conference runner, as Puget Sound's Tyler Shipley claimed the regional title two weeks after winning the conference meet. Hodkinson becomes the first Lute to receive a bid to nationals since Alan DenAdel in 2011 and only the second since 2002.
"Today we came to the regional race prepared and ready for action," Hodkinson said. "We all came together and did what we needed to do to show our conference and region that we are a young team that competes. My goal in this race was to have fun and run hard and enjoy my regional experience. I went hard with the front pack and shocked myself with a fourth-place finish and a berth to nationals. I'm really proud of my team's 11th-place finish and my teammate who made it up on the podium."
PLU's top four finishers were all freshman, with Rapacz following Hodkinson on the All-Region team, Bo Frohock placing 72nd (28:02.55) and Tom Pfeifle placing 91st (28:41.23). Juniors Brendon Bonnell (103rd, 29:13.58), Charlie Mogen (111th, 29:36.5) and Matthew Macfarlane (115th, 29:58.95) rounded out PLU's team performance.
"Today was a great race for the team," Rapacz said. "We proved that we can hold our own with the other teams from our region. This trip was a great experience for our young team, and I can't wait to see what we can do next season."
The Lutes totaled 298 points to finish 11th in the team rankings. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won the team title with 51 points, while Willamette was the top NWC finisher with 109 points. Puget Sound (fifth, 172), Whitman (sixth, 244), Linfield (seventh, 255) and Whitworth (eighth, 259) also represented the NWC ahead of PLU, while George Fox (13th, 319) and Pacific (19th, 494) finished behind the Lutes.
"Our entire men's team took this championship opportunity seriously as a building block to our team's future," Kreier said. "I can't begin to express how proud I am about the way this team rallied and raced for one another. Team was the focus all season, and it showed today. I am so proud of our Lutes' 'No Fear' attitudes."
More from the Lutes:
Bo Frohock – "We had a great showing, and I am super proud of how we all raced. Today we set ourselves up to be a competitive team for years to come."
Brendon Bonnell – "Today was an amazing opportunity, running regionals in California with an amazing group of men and an amazing coach. With the weather and terrain against us, we still came out and competed greatly. With a team of mainly freshmen, we gave all the other teams a warning for more to come in future seasons. Attaway, Lutes!"
Matt Macfarlane – "It's been a really good season for the men's cross country team, and I'm super excited and psyched for Brad to be moving on to nationals. Our men's program is on the race, and I couldn't be more proud to be a Lute."
Tom Pfeifle – "Running at regionals was an incredible opportunity to show what we can do as a young team, and we're very proud that one of our athletes will go on to represent the team at nationals."
Charlie Mogen, co-captain – "Despite obstacles, the PLU men's cross country team pushed themselves today and performed exceptionally. Brad and Kyle both really performed well, giving PLU fantastic representation. Our 11th-place finish is representative of our dedication and hard work this season. I am proud to have been on the team this season, and I look forward to this coming track season and the next cross country season."
