Seattle Pacific's Pixler captures historic 3rd straight NCAA title

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Jessica Pixler has done it again.

The Seattle Pacific senior ran to her history-making third straight NCAA Division II women's cross country championship on Saturday.

Pixler cruised along the 6-kilometer University of Southern Indiana course in 20 minutes, 22.6 seconds. It was the closest of her three title victories, as Western Washington junior Sarah Porter was second in 20:30.1.

"Neely Spence [of Shippensburg State, last year's runner-up to Pixler] was with me until about the 4K mark, but then she kind of died," Pixler said. "It was just kind of me finishing. I put a surge on the hill, and I think that helped. That was kind of a turning point."

And in keeping with the theme of threes, the Falcons women captured their third straight team trophy. As the case was last year, this was a fourth-place model, and SPU claimed it by beating West Region rivals Alaska Anchorage and Chico State, who were fifth and sixth.

Seattle Pacific finished with 151 points. Western Washington was eighth, with 300 points, its best finish in school history. The Western men were fourth, also a school best.

Pixler, from Sammamish, joined an elite group of three-time NCAA cross country champions, and is the first in Division II to win that many.

Before nationals, Pixler completed a four-year sweep of the GNAC and the West Region championships.

"It's kind of funny after having it happen — you realize more and more it wasn't about winning the title," Pixler said. "So much of the journey was about spending time with teammates and family and coaches."

Adams State of Colorado won its seventh straight title, posting a total of 73 points.

The Falcons packed three runners within one second of each other. Seniors Suzie Strickler and Jane Larson were the Nos. 2 and 3 Falcons finishers in their final career races. Strickler was 46th overall in 22:11.5, and Larson was 47th, just half a second back. Sophomore Natty Plunkett was right with them, taking 49th in 22:12.5.

Porter's second-place finish was the best by any cross country runner in Western history.

"Sarah's strategy was not to go out with the leaders and expend too much energy," Halsell said. "At the halfway mark, she went out and really started dropping people and she was really pulling on Pixler at the end."

Porter finished over 13 seconds ahead of third-place Ashley Siler from Missouri Southern.

In the men's competition, Western was paced by Jordan Welling, who finished 13th.