Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran hosts its lone home cross country meet of the season, bringing in an international field for the annual PLU Invitational. 13 total teams are slated to participate in the collegiate races, representing NCAA Division II, Division III, Canada, and the junior college ranks. Among the participating teams is Northwest Conference rivals George Fox University, Lewis & Clark College, Pacific University, University of Puget Sound, and Whitman College.
Course Maps
Complete Field: From NCAA Division II: Central Washington University. From NCAA Division III: Pacific Lutheran University, George Fox University, Lewis & Clark College, Pacific University, University of Puget Sound, and Whitman College. From U Sports (Canada): Trinity Western University (Canada). From Northwest Athletic Conference (Junior College): Everett Community College, Green River College, Olympic College, Pierce College, and Treasure Valley College.
2023 Rewind: The Lute men finished third at last year's PLU Invitational, scoring 96 points to finish eight points behind runner-up and NWC rival Whitworth University. Division II Simon Fraser University won the team title, scoring 46 points with all seven runners finishing inside the top 25. Ryan Stracke was PLU's top finisher, placing fourth after finishing the 8,000-meter race in 25:04.10.
The PLU women finished ninth overall, scoring 238 points and finishing six points ahead of in-state rival Northwest University. D2 Simon Fraser was the top squad, scoring 27 points with three runners inside the top five while NWC rival Pacific University was a distant runner-up with 65 points. Anna Iverson paced the Lutes, finishing 18th overall, touring the 6K course in 23:45.10.
Highlights from Season Opening UPS Invitational
About the Lute Men: The Runnin' Lutes made the short trip to Fort Steilacoom Park on August 31, placing sixth at the Puget Sound Invitational.
23 seconds is all that separated the Lutes' first through fourth runners in the 5,000-meter race on a hot day at the local park. Kai Sorensen and Owen Ladinig led the way, finishing 22nd and 23rd overall in 17 minutes, 34.2 seconds and 17:34.4.
About the Lute Women: Sal Mattivi set the pace for the Lutes on August 31, helping the squad finish fourth overall at the Puget Sound Invitational to open the 2024 cross country season.
Mattivi finished 18th overall, navigating the serpentine 5K layout in 21:54.4. It was the Bremerton, Washington native's first collegiate race. Annika Deazley was 23rd in 22:24.2 with Zoey Diviney close behind in 25th (22:36.5).
PLU tallied 109 points in the team standings, finishing 12 points ahead of Green River College.
Last spring PLU became just the second Division III school in the nation and the first school in any division in the State of Washington to partner with Athlete's Thread. Athlete's Thread allows every Lute student-athlete to sell customizable gear and jerseys with their name and number and receive monetary compensation for a portion of each sale. Check out the link above to order your gear today!
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace two years ago through the department's partnership with Opendorse. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
The Luteville Marketplace was the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website.
Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more, the new PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Next Meet:
Oct. 5 at Charles Bowles Invitational in Salem, Oregon
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu