Saturday, November 18
Charlottesville, VA
7:20 AM
University of Washington
vs
NCAA Championships
Huskies Finish Eighth At Nationals, Best Since 2011
November 18, 2023 | Cross Country
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Husky women's cross country team earned its best national finish since the 2011 season this morning, running to eighth-place at the NCAA Championships with a huge final kilometer surge. The Huskies went from 14th to 8th in the final 1K to cap off a terrific 2023 season that included a Pac-12 team title.
Washington came into the meet at Panorama Farms in Virginia ranked 10th nationally, and outperformed that seeding by two spots. The Dawgs finished as the top team out of the Pac-12, and the West Region, and for good measure, the Big Ten as well.
At the 5,000-meter split, the Huskies were 14th overall, but climbed impressively over the final kilometer, dropping 35 points off their team score to move up six spots. No other team improved more than three places over the final 1K.
Washington's top-three finishers all came in within eight seconds of each other. Chloe Foerster led the Huskies in 47th-place in 20:09, then Sophie O'Sullivan was 56th in 20:16, and Julia David-Smith was 58th in 20:17.
Ella Borsheim came up huge today placing 119th overall in 20:48, and India Weir capped the scoring in 140th-place in 20:56. Naomi Smith finished 189th and Tori Herman was 210th.
Over the final 1K, Foerster moved up 12 places, O'Sullivan moved up nine places, David-Smith moved up nine places, Borsheim moved up 17 places, and Weir moved up five places.
"The girls were super tough," said Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Maurica Powell. "It's the most chaotic race in all of track and cross country with the number of people and how condensed it is. Sophie, Chloe and Julia were fantastic. They were together most of the race. They were the difference in us going from 14th to 8th. The race plan was to really run well over the last 1,000 and run the last 200 like a track race.
"Ella really clutched up for us," Powell said of Borsheim. "She missed two weeks with a little injury and was able to come back and get it together for us. It's a hard thing when your race plan is to try and get in the top-100. It's not a glamorous job but she did it."
NC State won its third-straight team championship with 123 points, followed by Northern Arizona with 124, and Oklahoma State with 156. The Huskies scored 323 points to finish eighth, just nine points behind Alabama in seventh (314) and six points ahead of ninth-place Arkansas (329).
"Chloe, Julia, and India had all never run at a cross country Nationals. Ella was massively better than she was last year," Powell said. "And for Sophie to have the summer of racing she had and to really take no break and rip right into the cross country season in order to help her team, to be that selfless was a phenomenal display of her devotion to the team. It drove these guys. They said if Sophie is killing herself we're gonna kill ourselves too for Sophie. She's been battling through some stuff, so her ability to rise up and be composed and tough was awesome."
It's the second Top-10 finish in six seasons under Powell, as the Huskies were ninth at NCAAs in her first season in 2018. The Dawgs have made nationals all six seasons under Powell. It's the highest finish for the program since the Dawgs were runners-up in 2011, and it is the ninth Top-10 finish in program history.
Washington Cross Country
NCAA Championships
Charlottesville, Va. | Panorama Farms
Nov. 18, 2023
Women's 6,000-meters
Team Standings: 1. NC State 123; 2. Northern Arizona 124; 3. Oklahoma State 156; 4. Notre Dame 237; 5. Florida 268; 6. Tennessee 294; 7. Alabama 314; 8. Washington 323; 9. Arkansas 329; 10. Oregon 335; 11. Lipscomb 353; 12. Stanford 357; 13. Utah 375; 14. BYU 399; 15. Virginia 400; 16. Michigan State 410; 17. Cal Baptist 414; 18. Georgetown 419; 19. Colorado 446; 20. Iowa State 458; 21. Ole Miss 459; 22. Wisconsin 487; 23. Utah Valley 501; 24. Furman 503; 25. Harvard 504; 26. Boston College 567; 27. Syracuse 591; 28. Providence 619; 29. Colorado State 720; 30. Texas A&M 775; 31. Penn State 787.
Individual Champion: Parker Valby, Florida, 18:55.
Husky Competitors: 47. Chloe Foerster, 20:09; 56. Sophie O'Sullivan, 20:16; 58. Julia David-Smith, 20:17; 119. Ella Borsheim, 20:48; 140. India Weir, 20:56; 189. Naomi Smith, 21:23; 210. Tori Herman, 21:41.
Washington came into the meet at Panorama Farms in Virginia ranked 10th nationally, and outperformed that seeding by two spots. The Dawgs finished as the top team out of the Pac-12, and the West Region, and for good measure, the Big Ten as well.
At the 5,000-meter split, the Huskies were 14th overall, but climbed impressively over the final kilometer, dropping 35 points off their team score to move up six spots. No other team improved more than three places over the final 1K.
Washington's top-three finishers all came in within eight seconds of each other. Chloe Foerster led the Huskies in 47th-place in 20:09, then Sophie O'Sullivan was 56th in 20:16, and Julia David-Smith was 58th in 20:17.
Top-three Dawgs--Chloe, Sophie, and Julia--all finish within seconds of each other!#GoHuskies // ?? ESPNU pic.twitter.com/l2Fcj7urLT
— Washington Track & Field and Cross Country (@UWTrack) November 18, 2023
Ella Borsheim came up huge today placing 119th overall in 20:48, and India Weir capped the scoring in 140th-place in 20:56. Naomi Smith finished 189th and Tori Herman was 210th.
Over the final 1K, Foerster moved up 12 places, O'Sullivan moved up nine places, David-Smith moved up nine places, Borsheim moved up 17 places, and Weir moved up five places.
"The girls were super tough," said Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Maurica Powell. "It's the most chaotic race in all of track and cross country with the number of people and how condensed it is. Sophie, Chloe and Julia were fantastic. They were together most of the race. They were the difference in us going from 14th to 8th. The race plan was to really run well over the last 1,000 and run the last 200 like a track race.
"Ella really clutched up for us," Powell said of Borsheim. "She missed two weeks with a little injury and was able to come back and get it together for us. It's a hard thing when your race plan is to try and get in the top-100. It's not a glamorous job but she did it."
NC State won its third-straight team championship with 123 points, followed by Northern Arizona with 124, and Oklahoma State with 156. The Huskies scored 323 points to finish eighth, just nine points behind Alabama in seventh (314) and six points ahead of ninth-place Arkansas (329).
"Chloe, Julia, and India had all never run at a cross country Nationals. Ella was massively better than she was last year," Powell said. "And for Sophie to have the summer of racing she had and to really take no break and rip right into the cross country season in order to help her team, to be that selfless was a phenomenal display of her devotion to the team. It drove these guys. They said if Sophie is killing herself we're gonna kill ourselves too for Sophie. She's been battling through some stuff, so her ability to rise up and be composed and tough was awesome."
It's the second Top-10 finish in six seasons under Powell, as the Huskies were ninth at NCAAs in her first season in 2018. The Dawgs have made nationals all six seasons under Powell. It's the highest finish for the program since the Dawgs were runners-up in 2011, and it is the ninth Top-10 finish in program history.
Washington Cross Country
NCAA Championships
Charlottesville, Va. | Panorama Farms
Nov. 18, 2023
Women's 6,000-meters
Team Standings: 1. NC State 123; 2. Northern Arizona 124; 3. Oklahoma State 156; 4. Notre Dame 237; 5. Florida 268; 6. Tennessee 294; 7. Alabama 314; 8. Washington 323; 9. Arkansas 329; 10. Oregon 335; 11. Lipscomb 353; 12. Stanford 357; 13. Utah 375; 14. BYU 399; 15. Virginia 400; 16. Michigan State 410; 17. Cal Baptist 414; 18. Georgetown 419; 19. Colorado 446; 20. Iowa State 458; 21. Ole Miss 459; 22. Wisconsin 487; 23. Utah Valley 501; 24. Furman 503; 25. Harvard 504; 26. Boston College 567; 27. Syracuse 591; 28. Providence 619; 29. Colorado State 720; 30. Texas A&M 775; 31. Penn State 787.
Individual Champion: Parker Valby, Florida, 18:55.
Husky Competitors: 47. Chloe Foerster, 20:09; 56. Sophie O'Sullivan, 20:16; 58. Julia David-Smith, 20:17; 119. Ella Borsheim, 20:48; 140. India Weir, 20:56; 189. Naomi Smith, 21:23; 210. Tori Herman, 21:41.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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