BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The San Francisco State men's cross country team finished fifth at the Bill Roe Western Washington University Classic on a breezy Saturday morning. The Bill Roe WWU Classic featured several top Division II teams as Simon Fraser, Chico State and Western Washington were all ranked in the top 10 in the West Region in the most recent polls.
The 10K race took place at the Sudden Valley Golf Course. The course had a number of turns, causing the race to split up pretty quickly. It made it very important for racers to maintain contact with the runners around them once they got into the second mile.
- For the first time this season, Senior Kevin Lehr finished first for the Gators. He finished 25th with a time of 32:36.9.
- Finishing back-to-back for the Gators were Freshman Evan Jackson and Senior Jacob Niles. Jackson placed 42nd with a time of 33:25.6 and Niles finished with a time of 33:27.9.
- Sophomore Gary Valle crossed a couple spots behind Niles and placed 46th with a time of 33:42.9.
- Sophomore Bailey Williams finished right out of the top 50 with a 52nd place finish and a time of 34:03.7.
"We had another solid team performance," said Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Tom Lyons. "Our lineup has shifted from race to race but that has been our strength. We have good depth and the guys work well together as they find each other in the race. We got a good look at three top teams in the country today."
The Gators have their last race before the CCAA Championship next weekend. San Francisco State will stay local and compete at the Santa Clara Invitational on Saturday, October 16. Fans can follow the team on Twitter and Instagram at @sfstate_xc.
