Normally at this time CWU would be going to Seattle to compete in the Emerald City Open at one of the tougher courses the runners would face all season. Instead, the Wildcats are heading to Lewiston next weekend, for a nice change of pace.  

CWU is looking to continue their success as they prepare for the GNAC Championships on Oct. 21.

There are only 10 runners who get to compete in the championship, so the rest of the team is focused on their last race of the season at Lewis-Clark State College, and to hopefully finish strong and end on a positive note going into the offseason.

CWU was scheduled to compete in the Emerald City Open next weekend, which they have competed in for over four  years.

This year they have decided to join the Lewis-Clark State Invitational in Lewiston, Idaho on Oct. 14.

This is a chance for the underclassmen and runners who have not qualified for the GNAC Championship to step up.

This is the final meet for the group of runners that do not go to the championship, for the runners already qualified for the GNAC Championship, this is a week of preparation.

“It’s a course that we know is much more conducive to some fast times and personal records to finish the season, it’s something we have been considering for a year or two trying to visit that course and seeing how it goes,” head coach Kevin Adkisson said.

CWU hopes to take advantage of the easier course and are hopeful to finish the weekend with some new personal records for some of these younger runners.

“I think it’s a good chance for some of us who aren’t in the varsity picture yet to increase our confidence so we can get a good time by the end of the season and really build on that going into the track season,” freshman Donovan Barnhart said.

With this event being entailed to mainly underclassmen, CWU is hopeful to see new leaders emerge for next season.

“This season has been positive for the whole team, I think for the top half of the team, they are set to have a really good finish for the year at the GNAC Championship,” Barnhart said.

He went on to say the underclassmen are also strong additions and replacements for the runners who will be leaving after this season.

The Emerald City Open is known as one of the harder courses that the runners face during the season, which is one incentive for CWU to switch events this year.

“We want these people to have a positive experience with that final meet of the year for them just like we want for the rest of team heading towards championships,” Adkisson said.

Central is coming off a big weekend for the women’s runners earning sixth at the 44th annual Western Washington University Cross Country Classic lead by Sophomore Alexa Shindruk placing 11th overall  and Freshman Jackline Knight who finished 39th.

For the Men’s team, they placed seventh in Louisville being led by senior Josh Boston who finished 41st and junior Corbin Carlton crossed the finish line in 46th place.