Georgia wins title, propels Saints to fourth place

The Saints cross country team finished off its season at the NWAC Championships, held in Lewisville Park near Battle Ground, Wash., last Saturday, with a  few high notes.

The day started off with a dramatic men’s race. Lane Community College sophomore Jonathan Cornish took control of the race late – making a strong move with a mile to go – leaving everybody in his trail but Spokane’s defending champion, Daniel Schofield. The two ran neck-and-neck down the final stretch before Schofield out-leaned Cornish to narrowly keep his crown, both runners clocking a time of 25:19 for the 8K.

Brandon Raleigh was the top finisher for the Mt. Hood men’s team, placing 13th at 26:09, while freshman Jonathan Zacarius got 32th place with a time of 27:09.

Sophomore Cody Beierle, and freshmen Santos Damien and Dean Nizer rounded out the Saints’ top five finishers.

The men’s team finished in seventh, despite not having freshman Michael Francy able to run. Spokane took the team title, scoring 32 points.

On the women’s side, the much-anticipated race between two outstanding freshman runners did not disappoint.

Even so, running in a pack with a mile to go, Mt. Hood’s Georgia Glovatsky pulled into the lead and never looked back – as was her habit all season long. She won with a time of 18:11 over Spokane’s Becca Mildes, who finished at 18:20.

Mt. Hood’s Emily Trosino also finished with top-10 honors, finishing in ninth place with a 18:44 time. Freshman runner Leah Norquist and sophomores Haley McDonald and Kat Lucero completed the top five for the Saints.

The Saints’ women’s team finished fourth overall with 116 points, while Spokane took the title with 36 points.

Beyond the outdoor circuit, Mt. Hood also posted a strong showing in the classroom, with sophomore runners Courtney Andre, Beierle, Trosino and Raleigh each earning NWAC All-Academic honors this week.