Pirate Men Aim to Defend Title, Women for First Crown

Whitworth at NWC Championships McIver State Park Estacada, Ore. (L&C host)

SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Whitworth University cross country teams head to the 2009 Northwest Conference Championships this week and both teams figure to be right in the mix of the title chase. The Pirate men will be looking to defend their title, while the women are aiming to win the first NWC cross country championship in school history.

The Pirate women head into the meet ranked 17th in the most recent NSCAA Division III top-35 poll. The Whitworth men are ranked 27th.

USATFCCCA Women's Poll (PDF) / USATFCCCA Men's Poll (PDF)

The Whitworth women figure to get their greatest challenge from 22nd-ranked Whitman College. Dana Misterek (So., Gig Harbor, Wash.) and Tonya Turner (So., Spokane, Wash.) figure to lead the Pirates and each is a threat to win the race individually. An x-factor could be Joy Shufeldt (Fr., Portland, Ore.) who has been running very well this season. Kathryn Williams (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Jo E. Mayer (Sr., Spokane, Wash.) have a history of running well at the conference championships.

Nick Gallagher (Jr., Bedford, Iowa), last season's DIII West Region champion and NWC runner-up, will lead the Pirate men. But the good news for Whitworth is how the team performed without Gallagher at the Puget Sound Invitational, winning with a strong group effort. Tyler Dudley (So., Salem, Ore.), Aaron Jenkins (So., Pocatello, Idaho) and Dusty Caseria (Sr., Bellingham, Wash.) all finished among the top six individuals. Trevor Berrian (Fr., North Bend, Ore.) and Collin Stewart (Sr., Carbondale, Colo.) give the Pirates solid depth. Whitworth will have to overcome 13th-ranked Willamette University to win the meet.

The Coach: The fall of 2009 marks Dr. Toby Schwarz's 12th season as head coach of the Whitworth Cross Country program. In 2008 Schwarz led the Pirate men to a Northwest Conference title and the NCAA DIII West Regional Championship, which qualified them for their first ever NCAA Championships meet. In 2002 Schwarz led the Whitworth women to an NCAA West Region title and the team's first-ever berth to the NCAA Championships. Schwarz was named the NCAA West Region women's Coach of the Year in 2002, the men’s Coach of the Year in 2008; and was honored as the NWC Men’s Coach of the Year in 2008.

Coach Schwarz's Quotes: Toby Schwarz gives his outlook for this weekend's race and his perspective on the course. Click here to listen to Coach Schwarz's Quotes.