SPOKANE, Wash. -- Whitworth University will travel to Walla Walla on Saturday for the Northwest Conference cross country championship meet. The men's eight kilometer race will start at 11:00 a.m. and the women's six kilometer race will follow at noon. The championships will be at Veterans Memorial Golf Course and will be hosted by Whitman College.

Nick Gallagher

For the first time, both Pirate teams are contenders for the title. There have been years when either the men's or women's team had a chance to win, but this season both squads have a shot. Of course, each would have to knock off multiple time champion Willamette to do so.

"Willamette is still the favorite on both sides," said Whitworth head coach, Toby Schwarz. "We are comfortable being contenders because our runners feel like they belong in that position and feel that if they run well, they have an opportunity to win."

Nick Gallagher (So., Bedford, Iowa) has the best opportunity of any Pirate to win an individual race. He has finished among the top three runners in four different races this season. Dusty Caseria (Jr., Bellingham, Wash.), Aaron Jenkins (Fr., Pocatello, Idaho) and Emmanuel Bofa (So., Puyallup, Wash.) all have a solid chance at earning all-conference honors, according to Schwarz.

The Pirate men have not won a conference title in cross country since winning back to back crowns in 1971 and 1972. The last runner-up finish for the Pirates came in 1988. The last time a Pirate man won an individual championship was Steve Sund's victory in 1992.

Dana Misterek

Dana Misterek (Fr. Gig Harbor, Wash.) has been the Pirates' top women's runner over the last three meets, but Schwarz believes that the strength of the women's team lies in its depth. Jo E Mayer (Jr., Spokane Valley, Wash.), Tonya Turner (Fr., Spokane, Wash.) and Kathryn Williams (So., Santiago, Chile) could all lead the team this weekend.

The Whitworth women have been in this position several times in recent years, finishing as runners-up from 2002 through 2004 and in third place in 2005, but Whitworth's women have never won a Northwest Conference title in cross country.

The Whitworth men are ranked third in the NCAA west region and are listed with "Others receiving votes" in the national poll, while the Pirate women are ranked second in the west and 29th in the NCAA Division III top-35 poll.