2024 Women's Cross Country Roster
Biography
SPU: Four-year letterwinner; five years with the program. ...USTFCCCA All-American in 2024. ... USTFCCCA All-West Region in 2021, 2023 and 2024. ... All-GNAC in 2021, 2023 and 2024 ... CoSIDA Academic All-America 2nd team in 2021-22 academic year. ... CoSIDA Academic All-District in 2021, 2023 and 2024. ... GNAC All-Academic in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. ... GNAC Athlete of the Week on Sept. 18, 2023, after making her season debut with a second-place finish at the PLU Invitational. ... GNAC Athlete of the Week on Sept. 16, 2024 after running to a second-place finish at the Green River Invitational. ... Was a two-time GNAC Athlete of the Week in 2022, first on Sept. 20 after winning the PLU Open and then two weeks later on Oct. 4. after winning the Chambers Creek College Open.
Senior (2024): Ran in six meets, capped by her first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II nationals, where she finished an All-American 4th. Racing at Arcade Creek in Sacramento, she posted her fastest-ever 6K time of 20:34.5. ... Earned her spot at nationals with a best-ever 6th-place finish at the NCAA West Regionals, finishing 6K at Amend Park in Billings in a then-personal best 20:47.72. ... Placed 3rd at the GNAC Championships at Sudden Valley in 21:02.3. ... Broke the 21-minute mark for the first time on Sept. 28 at the Bill Roe WWU Classic when she clocked 20:56.9 at Hovander Homestead Park in Ferndale. ... Placed 13th at the national-caliber Lewis Crossover on Oct. 12 in Romeoville, Illinois. ... Was 2nd at the season-opening Green River Invitational.
Junior (2023): Ran in five of the six meets, leading the Falcons in all five. … Had her highest-ever GNAC Championships finish, placing third to earn All-Conference honors at Kincaid Park in Anchorage in 21:04.50, by far fastest 6K time. Her previous best was 21:41.30 at the PLU Invitational on Sept. 16. … Placed 20th at the NCAA West Regionals at Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, posting another sub-22 by stopping the watch in 21:35.1. Won the Emerald City Open at hilly Lower Woodland Park on Oct. 7. … Was 2nd at PLU and 10th at the WWU Bill Roe Classic.
Sophomore (2022): Ran in three meets, leading the Falcons in all three ... Placed 9th at the Charles Bowles Invitational in her season debut on Oct. 1. ... Was 89th at the NCAA Division II Pre-Nationals. ... Placed 18th at the GNAC Championships in 22:14.50.
Redshirt freshman (2021): Ran in all six meets and was the team's leading finisher in all of them. ... Won the PLU Open on Sept. 18 in 22 minutes, 15.70 seconds. ... Won the Chambers Creek College Open on Oct. 2 in 18:32.90 (5 kilometers). ... Finished 9th at the GNAC Championships in 22:06.30 at Saint Martin's. ... Was 22nd at the NCAA West Regionals in 23:56.60. ... Made her college debut at the Ash Creek Invitational on Sept. 10, taking 3rd overall in 14:12.3 for 4 kilometers. ... Placed 19th at the WWU Bill Roe Classic.
Freshman (2020-21): Did not race.
West Valley-Spokane High School: Helped West Valley win three consecutive Washington state cross country trophies, including the Class 2A (medium-small school) championship as a junior in 2018. The other trophies were for 2nd place in 2017 and 4th in 2019. … Ran at the state meet all four years, placing 49th as a freshman, 14th as a sophomore, 23rd as a junior, and 20th as a senior. … Won the GNL District championship as a senior. … Also won four regular-season meets as a senior, along with one as a junior and three as a sophomore. … On the track, was part of the league championship team as a junior in 2019. She won back-to-back league titles in the 1600 and 3200 in 2018 and 2019. … Ran in a pair of 2A state championship races as a junior in 2019, placing 7th in the 3200 and 8th in the 1600. … Also made the state 3200 as a sophomore, placing 13th . … Team Most Valuable Runner for track in 2016 and cross country in 2017. … League MVP for cross country in 2019, and distance MVP for track in 2018 and 2019.
Personal: Annika Janice Esvelt. … Applied Human Biology major, Exercise Science minor.
Fun facts: Esvelt’s father, Mark, was a track and cross country runner at West Valley, and still owns the school record in the 1600 and the 3200. Annika own the school record in the 1600 thus giving the family three spots on the record board. … Started running in middle school. … Also enjoys skiing, and previously played softball and soccer. … If not for running, would try tennis. … Favorite sports to watch are track and basketball. … Dumbest movie she ever saw was “Tall Girl.” … Books she just couldn’t put down were any in the “Harry Potter” series. … Favorite junk food is ice cream. … Favorite healthy food is potatoes. … Favorite TV program is “Agents of Shield.” … Her dream car is a Jeep. … Loves to shop for running clothes. … Easiest subject in school is chemistry. … Says she doesn’t have a “toughest subject.” … Her pre-meet ritual is to wear the same type of socks and to wear a bow in her hair. … If she could invite anyone to dinner, it would be her friend Sophie who passed away. She would serve spaghetti. … If she could be any action hero, would be The Flash. … Her friends call her Annie “because it’s easier to shout than Annika when I’m running by.” … In 10 years, plans to be doing work that helps people. … Has gone parasailing in Hawaii.
PRs ON ALL COURSES
(All 6 kilometers unless otherwise noted)
Charles Bowles Invitational @ Bush's Pasture Park (5K) 18:21.4 (2022)
NCAA Division II Pre-Nationals @ Chambers Creek 23:03.90 (2022)
Ash Creek Invitational @ Ash Creek Preserve (4K) 14:12.30 (2021)
PLU Invitational @ Pacific Lutheran Cross Country Course 21:41.30 (2023)
Chambers Creek College Open @ Chambers Creek Regional Park (5K) 18:32.90 (2021)
Bill Roe WWU Classic @ Hovander Homestead Park 20:56.9 (2024)
Bill Roe WWU Classic @ Sudden Valley Golf Course 23:08.6 (2021)
NCAA Division II Championships @ Arcade Creek 20:34.5 (2024)
GNAC Championships @ Sudden Valley Golf Course 21:02.3 (2024)
GNAC Championships @ Kincaid Park 21:04.50 (2023)
GNAC Championships @ Saint Martin's 29:35.20 (2021)
NCAA Division II West Regionals @ Amend Park 20:47.72 (2024)
NCAA Division II West Regionals @ Ash Creek Preserve 21:35.1 (2023)
WWU Bill Roe Classic @ Lake Padden 22:04.90 (2023)
Emerald City Open @ Lower Woodland Park 22:25.70 (2023)
Green River Invitational @ Fort Steilacoom Park (4K) 13:08.6. (2024)
Lewis Crossover @ Lewis Cross Country Course 21:27.75 (2024)
CAREER RESULTS
