Complete results
       PHOTO GALLERY

BELLINGHAM -- Even without their leading man and one of their best pack runners, the Seattle Pacific Falcons did what they set out to do on Saturday and hung close to a couple of teams that they very well might have to beat to advance in the cross country postseason.

Sophomore Nate Sleight placed 27^th overall, and freshman Will Harrison was just two spots behind him, leading the Falcons to a seventh-place finish in the Western Washington Invitational at Lake Padden Park.

SPU checked in with 170 points. The host Vikings won with 23, well ahead of runner-up Club Northwest (63). Central Washington was fifth with 140, Saint Martin's was sixth with 160.

The Falcons competed without senior Chad Meis (Renton, Wash./Seattle Christian HS) and junior Jordan Lance (Mill Creek, Wash./Jackson HS). They raced in Friday's San Francisco State Invitational, with Meis turning in yet another strong run to finish ninth and Lance placing 63^rd among the 118 runners.

Both will be back with the team for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Apple Ridge Run near Yakima. The Falcons will need a top-four finish in that meet to earn a trip to the NCAA West Regionals.

"This should be a real confidence builder going into conference, knowing what they're capable of and knowing that they still have some room to grow," coach Erika Daligcon said. "They're really working together well. It's going to take a team effort."

Running at the 10-kilometer distance for the first time this season, Sleight (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS) hit the wire in 34 minutes, 6 seconds. That was an improvement of nearly two minutes from the 35:53 he clocked as a freshman in 2008. Sleight was 40^th in last season's meet at Lake Padden.

Harrison (Tucson, Ariz.) clocked 34:12. Behind him, freshmen Andrew Van Ness (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS) and AJ Baker (AuGres, Mich.) hung close together, with Van Ness 49^th in 34:55 and Baker 52^nd in 35:02. Another freshman, Gavin Brand, completed SPU's scoring group, placing 61^st in 35:38.



NCAA Men's Cross Country
Western Washington Invitational
Saturday, October 10, 2009
10K at Lake Padden Park/Bellingham

Team scores -- 1, Western Washington 23; 2, Club Northwest 63; 3, British Columbia 84; 4, Seattle Running Club 96; 5, Central Washingto 140; 6, Saint Martin's 160; 7, Seattle Pacific 170; 8, Skagit Valley CC 231.
Top 10 -- 1, Jordan Welling (WWU) 31:41; 2, Bennett Grimes (WWU) 31:50; 3, Anthony Tomisch (WWU) 31:59; 4, Brett Winegar (CNW) 32:00; 5, Greg Crowther (SRC) 32:14; 6, Blake Medhaug (WWU) 32:22; 7, John Timeus (WWU) 32:27; 8, Ben Mangrum (SRC) 32:30; 9, Van Santen (StM) 32:32; 10, Kerry Kazuta (UBC) 32:40.
SPU placers -- 27, Nate Sleight 34:06; 29, Will Harrison 34:12; 49, Andrew Van Ness 34:55; 52, AJ Baker 35:02; 61, Gavin Brand 35:38; 76, Andrew Hamilton 36:29; 82, Nate Seely 37:42; 90, Lyle Emery 38:43.